I Can Keep A Secret If You Can Keep Me Guessing
by squishyrainbows
Summary: Another All Time Low fanfic written by me  :
1. Chapter 1

Alright so, there is no way I can continue writing in Give Love Then Take It Back or write another sequel. I'm sorry, but I did decide to write another story. This one is All Time Low related too, of course. It I read a story a long time ago and loved the idea I wanted to take it and make it my own, so that's what I did. All I used was the letter idea, the rest is all mine. So yeah. I hope you like it as much as you liked the other one, if not more (: Let me know!

-x-

"Rise and shine," My mother said coming into my room.

I sighed, "Five more minutes?"

"You'll be late," She tsked. "And you don't want to ruin your perfect attendance record now do you?"

After another heavy sigh I rolled out of bed and made my way into the shower. I washed my light brown hair while trying to ignore the annoyance my mother had caused.

I love her, sometimes, but other times, she's a lot to handle. She has this image of me being the perfect daughter at it gets hard to live up to. Still, I try. My grades highest in the school and I've never missed a day since freshman year.

Mom tried to convince me to go out for student council and sports teams, but if I was going to achieve the grades she and Dad found acceptable, I wouldn't be able to balance it all. Or at least, that's what I told them. To be honest, I just really wanted free time to hang out with my friends. Is that such a crime?

Well to my parents it is, but oh well. Not all expectations are meant to be reached.

I got out of the shower and dried off and pulled on an outfit that almost resembled a school uniform. My parents refused to let me leave the house in any type of "nonprofessional" clothing.

One rule out of many I had to follow along with getting perfect grades; others being no boys, no partying, no swearing, no alcohol, no staying out past 10 and basically no fun. Not that I thought getting wasted every weekend was fun but my parents' idea of fun was studying for that Trig exam. Neither appealed to me.

I blow dried my hair into its usual straight style and applied a little bit of makeup to being out the blue in my grey eyes.

"Charlotte!" Mom called.

I cringed at my full name and grabbed my bag filled with textbooks, heading downstairs.

"Good morning," Dad greeted me.

"Morning," I said before stuffing my face with an apple. Once it was done eating I left the kitchen with nothing more than a simple bye.

I got into my silver Lexus that was my 16th birthday present from my parents. Of course little Miss Charlie Parker, daughter of George and Kelly Parker could never be caught taking the city transit.

Maybe there are some perks of having rich parents that expect way too much out of you.

I drove over to the Williams' house to pick Sydney up.

We had been best friends since we were three because our parents had known each other in high school.

Her parents also had high expectation for her, but she got a lot more freedom than I did. She came running out of her house in a storm of long brunette hair and books.

"Hey," She said, getting into the car and dropping everything on the floor boards.

"What's up?" I backed up and pulled out of the drive way, heading to the next stop.

"Mom threw a hissy fit because I didn't do my homework for the first time in 11 damn years," She rolled her eyes.

I faked a gasp, "The world is going to end."

"I know, Jesus Christ."

I pulled into Hazel's driveway just as she was leaving the house.

"I have great timing today." I said to no one in particular.

Hazel was probably the prettiest out of our group, and the one with the least pressure on her. She lived in a foster home after both her parents ended up being dead beats. She didn't talk about it much, but her foster parents were one of the nicest families in the neighbourhood, if not the city.

Part of me wished I could have foster parents just so I could be relieved of all the pressure.

Hazel tucked a piece of perfectly curly but completely natural blonde hair behind her ear and popped her head between Sydney and I. "You guys excited for this English assignment?"

"What English assignment?" I asked finally heading towards school.

"Y'know, the one where we get assigned a partner from a different school and we write letters back and forth to them," Hazel explained.

"That doesn't sound too great," I said.

"Oh come on, what if you get a really hot guy?"

"I won't know what he looks like since this is purely through writing."

Our conversation was cut short when I pulled into the school parking lot next to the familiar blue Jag owned by Amber. She got out of the car, her two toned hair blowing in the slight breeze and her dark brown eyes covered by designer glasses. Amber was by far the richest out of all of us, but she was probably also the most modest. She didn't like to flaunt it, even though she had it.

She joined our group, and we walked across the grass and into the building.

I braced myself as we walked through the crowded hall way. Freshman and sophomores acting like they were on top of the world until a shock of blonde hair entered the hall and everyone spread apart to make room for the Queen.

Jennifer Woods, the Regina George of our school, and her two followers, Jessica and Michaela strut down the hall. I rolled my eyes as every male watched as they passed by.

"Jealous, Parker?" Jen smirked, stopping in front of me.

I raised an eyebrow, "I don't see anything to be jealous of."

Hazel and Sydney snickered as Jen scoffed, "You should be."

"Oooh, burn," I laughed and walked away from her with Hazel, Sydney and Amber following and laughing.

If you hadn't already gathered, I'm not afraid of Jen. She's all talk and no action. And it's amusing to watch her freak out after shooting her down. I never understood why the school worshipped her, she wasn't that great. And no, I'm not jealous.

So, maybe she basically stole my first boyfriend from me last year and deemed me loser of the year, but hey, I'm not jealous. I actually have real friends opposed to Jessica and Michaela who only hang around her because she is "popular".

I spun the dial to my lock and it popped open, revealing my freakishly organized locker.

"I still don't get how you can keep it so organized," Sydney said.

"Forced of habit thrust upon me by my parents," I muttered and grabbed my English textbook.

English was the only class that the four of us had together. After making a pit stop at each of our lockers, we finally strolled in, seconds before the bell.

"Thank you for joining us ladies," Mr. Davis greeted.

"Hey, we weren't late," Amber said, taking her seat at the table with us.

"I know, you never are. It's weird," He laughed. Mr. Davis was my favorite teacher. He was so easy going and laid back and he loved to joke around with students.

Just as he was about to start, the Bitch Queen and her followers strut into the room. Mr. Davis didn't look too pleased that they actually showed up for this class.

"Should I even bother to ask why you're late?" He asked Jen as she sat at a table on the opposite side of us.

"I had things to do," Jen replied shortly.

He didn't bother to hide his eye rolling as he got up and stood in front of the class. Another reason why he was my favorite.

"Alright class, as you all should know, today is the beginning of your semester project. It's a month long of course, taking us right to the end of the semester. It's going to be worth 25% of your mark, but it's easy marks." He explained.

"What are we doing?" Jen interrupted.

"Maybe if you'd come to class more than once a week, you'd know," He answered. The class snickered but a scowl from Jen shut them all up, like little puppets.

"Basically, for Miss Woods, and anyone who missed the announcement last week, we are going to be writing letters back and forth between another school on the other side of the city. It's to show you guys that technology isn't everything and it's a great way to make a new friend or two."

Somehow this assignment didn't appeal to me. I didn't want to make new friends; I just wanted to pass this damn class.

"So we'll start today by drawing out names of the person you'll be writing too, and starting a basic introduction letter." He pulled out a hat with pieces of paper almost over flowing. "And don't think you can get away with not doing this assignment. We won't read your letters, but we will check to make sure that they are written, and at the end of this you will have to write a paragraph about what you learned about this person in the past month."

I repressed a sigh. Are you kidding? This assignment was getting worse and worse. On top of all the shit I already had to do now I had to make friends with some stranger and write a paragraph about them?

He went around the class and each person pulled a name out and read it out loud.

I watched Jen pull out a name and crinkle her fake nose, "Jack Barakat. What kind of name is that?"

Poor guy. He's probably going to want to jump off a cliff by the end of the month.

I cringed as Mr. Davis lowered the hat in front of me.

"Oh come on Charlie, it won't be that bad," He encouraged me.

"Maybe he'll be half blind and you'll get a boyfriend out of it," Jen cackled.

I shot her a glare as I reached in and pulled out the slip.

"Alexander Gaskarth," I read.

Sydney was next, "Zachary Merrick."

"Rain Dawson," Hazel read.

"It's actually Rian," Mr. Davis corrected her.

Amber went to reach into the hat and looked confused. "Dude, it's empty."

"Oh sh—crap. I guess the teacher from the school and I miscounted. I'll find something else for you to do to make up for the assignment, okay?"

Amber huffed. She really wanted to do this assignment. I almost offered to trade her, but something stopped me. His name was so intriguing. My sub conscience, no matter how hard I wanted to ignore it, suddenly wanted to know more about this person.

"Alright, now that all of you have your pen pal, you have the rest of class to complete your letter." Mr. Davis announced, and then called Amber up to his desk.

I pulled out a sheet of paper and pen. How do you start a letter to a complete stranger?

_Dear Alexander,_

_Or do you prefer Alex? Either way, I'm Charlotte, but if you call me that, I'll never __speak__ write to you again (:_

_I guess this is the part where I become slightly narcissistic and talk about myself. Well, I'm 17 and in my junior year here at Western, but obviously you should already know that. I'm going to assume that you're the same age and in the same grade? What school do you go to? It was never mentioned what school we were doing this with. Anyway, I live with my parents as an only child in the rich part of town where I'm expected to be the perfect daughter with perfect grades. And unfortunately I don't have a backbone to stand up to them so I'm stuck pretending to be what I'm really not. _

_So yeah, I'm not quite sure what else to tell you. My favorite color is green, my favorite animal is dolphins and I love amusement parks. Just thought I would share and now I'm going to end this letter with a smiley face because I don't know what else to say (:_

_Sincerely? Charlie. _

_p.s – whoever Jack Barakat is, if you know him, please tell him he did nothing to deserve what's about to be inflicted upon him and I hope he comes out alive. _

I couldn't help but to chuckle at the last part as I folded it and stuck it in the envelope that had been placed on my desk.

The bell rang shortly after and I said bye to Amber and Sydney, heading to Chemistry with Hazel. We were on time of course. I spent most of the lecture wondering what it would be like to be like some of the other students here; to have less pressure to succeed and more time to have fun.

I wanted adventure, and man, was I about to get what I asked for.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex's POV

"What if I get stuck with some bitch?" I complained.

"Talk about World of Warcraft until her ears, well in the case eyes, bleed," Rian chuckled.

"I don't know anything about that!"

"She won't know that," Jack added.

"Ugh, you guys are no help," I mumbled as the practically dragged me to English class. I slumped down in my seat and started the countdown to when class ended.

"Would you rather talk to a complete stranger or fail my class, Mr. Gaskarth?" My teacher commented.

"How about neither?" I tried.

"Good try, but it's either the assignment, or you'll be sitting right there again next semester."

I rolled my eyes and held back my comments.

"So as you all know, we're starting the pen pal assignment today. The school we teamed up with to do this with already picked out which one of you was their partner, so you're letters are already written. Don't forget that at the end of this you'll have to write a paragraph about the person to prove that you actually did what you were supposed to."

"Do we ever get to meet these people?" Someone asked.

"I supposed something could be arranged for you guys to meet to at least get an idea of what they look like."

She started handing out the letters. I cringed when my name was called and I got mine.

To Alex, from Charlie was scribbled on the front.

"Oh my God, I got a dude," I said to Jack as I sat down and opened it. "That's the only thing worse than the actual assignment."

I unfolded the paper and was surprised to see that the writing was a girl's. I read the letter, chuckling at some of the parts but the p.s confused me.

"Jack, who did you get?" I asked.

"Some chick named Jennifer. She sounds like a bitch." He said, and then mocked her letter, "'I'm the most important person in this school and everyone loves me.' Let's trade?"

"No way man, I'll stick to the chick with a dude's name. " I laughed. I bet she was really manly or tom-boyish, whatever you wanted to call it.

_Dear Charlie, _

_I'll make you a deal, I won't call you Charlotte and you won't call me Alexander, okay? Why do you prefer Charlie anyway? It's a manly name for a girl._

_Do you think this assignment is as stupid as I do? I even tried to get out of it. _

_I go to Centennial. I've never even heard of Western. Is it a private school or something? And yes, we are the same age and in the same grade._

_You're parents need to get laid and loosen up man. My parents don't expect much from me, and that's fine because I prefer partying than wasting my time on things that don't matter much. _

_What else can I tell you? My favorite color is blue, I love dogs and I can sing and play guitar. That's all that I can think of that's important. _

_From, Alex. _

_p.s- I know who Jack is. Actually he's my best friend. Who is Jennifer? _

I was somewhat unsatisfied with my letter. I felt like there should be more, but it's not like I had to impress her or anything.

I folded the paper sloppily and put it into an envelope and handed it in before leaving as the bell rang.

I pushed my way through the crowded halls with Jack following. I was almost to my next class when someone pulled me into an empty classroom.

"What the—oh, it's you." I tried hiding the annoyance in my voice as I looked down at Katelyn. Well, more like down her shirt, but whatever.

Katelyn was more or less the school whore. We fooled around once or twice at a party – but never went all the way – and now she thinks we have a thing. Trying to get rid of her was like trying to get rid of herpes. You think you're in the clear then BAM she's back for more.

"I was hoping we could pick up where we left off," She cooed in my ear and kissed my jaw.

I had Physics next, so making out with Katelyn seemed slightly better so I didn't object as she pushed me up against the wall and stuck her tongue down my throat. I also didn't objects as she started to feel me up. But I did stop her when she tried reaching for my pants after taking my shirt off.

"Not right here or now," I said.

"Why not?"

"We're in the middle of school, in an empty classroom that could be entered any second," I said, making up an excuse. "Plus, it's unclassy."

"Since when do you care about being classy during sex?" She asked.

I shrugged, "No one ever asked."

She sighed and dropped her hand that had been placed in my crotch, the heat of the moment gone. I picked my shirt up and put it back on.

"Maybe we can continue this at my place later?" She tried.

I shrugged, "We'll see."

She left the room leaving me with my thoughts.

One day, someone is going to figure out that you're still a virgin; a voice in my head mocked me.

No matter how much I tried to deny it, the voice was right. All the stories about me having sex with at least six girls in since sophomore year weren't true. I was still a virgin and something I wasn't proud of obviously.

I didn't just want to have sex for the first time with any girl, y'know? I wanted it to mean something. But it I told that to anyone, including Jack, they'd think I was insane. So instead I let the rumors of how many beds I had been in fly, not denying it, but not once has I ever confirmed it either.

I exited the classroom and headed to class, hoping that the right girl would come along soon.

-x-

Charlie's POV

It seems that when you're waiting for something, time slows right down. Mr. Davis informed us that we'd only get our letters every other day, giving the other class time to do theirs. Today unfortunately was one of the days that we didn't get letters.

I don't know why, but I really wanted my response from Alex. I was interested to see what he had to say.

I sat in Trig alone, listening to Jennifer go on and on about how she knows that Jack is going to fall for her instantly like every other guy. I felt extremely bad for him, and hoped he had a girlfriend and decent taste in girls.

I adjusted the strap to the tank top I had traded my blazer and dress shirt in for when I got to school. Do you think I'd actually wear those awful dress suite things to school?

Instead, I kept a secret collection of clothes in my locker and at Sydney's house and I'd change into them every day before class then drive Syd home and change there before driving home.

I already had Jen on my ass about everything I did and I didn't need her mocking my clothing that weren't even my choice. Plus, it made me feel like a rebel and like I had control over at least one thing in my life.

I spent the rest of the day counting down the seconds until the bell rang. Sydney and Hazel met me at my car and I drove to Hazel's house, dropped her off then started towards Syd's. I turned onto Sydney's street when she gasped.

"What?" I asked.

"Dude, is that your parents' car?" She asked, nodding towards the dark blue car in her parents' drive way.

"Fuck, yes!" I yelled, slamming on the breaks. I checked to make sure nothing was coming and threw the car into reverse and backed up around the corner.

"You're neighbours now think I'm crazy," I chuckled slightly before grabbing my bag from under the seat. I climbed into the back and started to change.

"That was so close though," Sydney said.

"I know man. I don't even want to think what they would do if they caught me wearing something other than these goddamn suites." I said, straightening my blazer then crawling back into the drives seat.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car, "Might as well find out why they're here. I'll probably be stay for dinner."

"Good, give me a reason to not leave my room," She laughed as we walked up her drive way and onto the porch. Sydney opened the door and we walked in. Both our parents were gathered in the living room, drinking coffee and probably gossiping about the neighbours. My parents were really judgemental and looked down at everyone who was less wealth than us.

I'm so glad I was nothing like them.

"Hey," I smiled at the four of them.

"How was school?" My dad asked.

"Fine," I shrugged then followed Sydney up to her room. I flopped down on the leather couch. "I don't know why they keep asking how school is. They never get a different answer and I don't ask them how work was."

"Probably a force of habit," She shrugged. "So did you hear that we might get to meet our pen pal person thing by the end of next week?"

"Seriously? Why? How?"

"Someone from there suggested it and they decided that meeting would help us get to know one another or something. I don't know but I'm pretty stoked."

I didn't whether to be excited or to dread the meeting. What if he didn't like me and was a dick? I'd have to put up with him for another month.

"But I'm already one step ahead of the game," She continued, opening her laptop.

"How?"

"Facebook stalking them, duh," She laughed. "There can only be so many Alex Gaskarth's and Zack Merrick's in the city."

She had a point. She brought the laptop over to the couch and set it on the table as I sat up. She brought up Facebook and typed in Zack's name.

Only two came up and one lived in Narnia so she clicked on the other. His page loaded and after finding out that he's single she went to his pictures.

He was okay looking, but he'd look a lot better if he cut his hair and buffed up a bit. She finished creeping him and went to his friends list. I shot her a confused looked.

"He might be friends with Alex," She shrugged and went on her search. Surprisingly, Alex was on his list. She clicked on him and his page loaded.

Sydney automatically went to his pictures since his wall was blocked. He had been tagged in a ton of pictures from a party and there were a bunch of him kissing a girl.

"Oh, well, looks like he's taken." She said.

It bummed me out and I didn't even have a valid reason as to why. As she flipped through his pictures I couldn't help but to notice that he was ridiculously good looking. He had longish brown hair that hung into dark eyes and a flawless smile. No wonder he was taken.

"Well the fact that we both got good looking guys makes this so much better," I grinned.

"Hell yes." She agreed and we high fived.

"Sydney, Charlotte! Dinner!" Her dad called up to us.

I shuddered at my name, "Couldn't my parents give me a better name than Charlotte?"

"Apparently plain names run in the family," She laughed as we went downstairs.

-x-

After leaving Sydney's I went home and did my homework like a good little robot child. I was eager to get my letter in English so I could actually know more about Alex. I fell asleep almost instantly, hoping the night would go by quickly.

-x-

When I woke up, I was actually excited to go to school for the first time in 11 years. It was weird. I got dressed and did my hair in recorded time. I was ready 15 minutes earlier than usual so I attempted to eat something to kill the time, but still ended up leaving early.

"You seem excited," Sydney pointed out when I picked her up.

"Do I?" I tried to act indifferent.

"Don't bullshit me," She said. "Are you actually happy to get this letter?"

"Eh, I'm just curious."

She bought that one and didn't ask any more questions as Hazel got in and I headed to school. Everyone got out as I got into the back seat and changed into jeans and a flowy pink shirt.

After years of practice getting dressed in a car took under a minute. I pulled on converses to replace the awful pumps I wore and got out of the car.

"The fact that you can change so fast in a car is really sad," Amber said, walking up.

"Blame my parents," I sighed.

"So what do you have to do to make up for this assignment in English?" Hazel asked her as we walked into the school.

"Absolutely nothing," Amber answered grinning, "He said he'd excuse it because it was his mistake."

"Dude, I'm so jealous," Hazel said. "So do you just sit there while we do the letters then?"

"I guess so. I can catch up on sleep," She joked.

We entered the classroom after stopping at our lockers. I saw the pile of envelopes on his desk and a surge of excitement rushed through me. I took my seat and impatiently bounced my knee up and down waiting for Mr. Davis to begin.

Finally, after a long five minutes, he finally got up from his chair. "Alright, so I have your letters here and…"

I blocked out his talking until he started passing them out. I controlled myself to hide the excitement as I opened it and read it.

My excitement level dropped immediately. Was it just me or was his tone extremely disinterested and bored. And he was a partier. But I already knew that from his Facebook. I pulled out a pen and paper.

_Dear Alex,_

_You've got yourself a deal. _

_To be honest, I don't even like the name Charlie very much, but it's better than Charlotte. _

_I really do wish my parents would get laid though. I don't think they have enough time, lol. Wait; is it acceptable to put "lol" in a letter? I don't think so but I'm going to anyway. _

_Would you believe me if I told you I've never been to a party besides a birthday party? Probably not, but it's true. I've also never drank alcohol. I'm so innocent it's not even funny, it's just plain sad. _

_I heard we get to meet each other sometime next week or something. Care to prove that you can sing and play guitar? It's totally fine if you don't want to. _

_Are we just going to do this thing where we state random facts about ourselves to end this? Uh, let's see. I'm a virgin, in all aspects of the word, I can snowboard/ski but rarely ever get to and I have never done a single thing my parents have disapproved of. _

_From Charlie_

I was hoping that I could spark a conversation about music or something that interested him by asking him to play for me. I didn't expect him to at all, but it was worth a shot.

"What are we supposed to do with the letters from them?" Hazel asked.

Mr. Davis shrugged, "Keep them, burn them or make paper airplanes out of them, whatever you please."

I folded the sheet up and slipped it in my back pocket. I don't know why, but I just wanted to save it. For memories sake, I suppose. A lot of things I had thought and done in the past two days didn't have a good reason. Other than I just felt like it.

I sat starting into space until the bell rang, wondering how Alex would respond.


	3. Chapter 3

That afternoon when I got home, mom and dad were waiting for me in the living room.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked casually.

"Sit down Charlotte." Dad commanded and I obeyed.

"What's this about?"

"We know that you've been focusing on school lately and that is 100% okay with us, but you're at that age where you should start noticing boys," Mom started.

Holy shit, was she about to give me the sex talk at 17? I'm pretty sure I knew everything I needed to know from them. Penis goes in without a condom and out comes a baby.

"Uh, yeah, go on," I said.

"So we've been talking to a couple of friends from the company and one mentioned having a son around your age." Dad continued. "So we decided to introduce you guys and set up a date."

I think I'd take the sex talk over a blind date with a guy that my parents choose for me any day.

"What do you think?" Mom asked.

"Uh, I guess I'll give it a try." I mumbled.

"Fantastic! I'll call Carry up and see if we can work a date out!" Mom said happily and bounced into the kitchen.

I hold back all my comments, as usual, and went to my room. I dropped my bag on the spotless floor and pulled my phone out, dialing Sydney.

"Hello?"

"You'll never guess what my parents just did."

"Turned into pterodactyls and started flying around the house?" She guessed.

I laughed but then quickly collected myself, "No, they decided to set me up on a blind date with one of their co-workers sons."

"Dude, that's lame. You can't even pick out your own boyfriends. What's next? Chewing your food for you?"

"Ugh. I can't believe this. And of course, I don't have the backbone to say no to them."

"Why not?" She asked.

"I don't actually know what's stopping me," I admitted.

"The looks on their faces would be priceless," She laughed.

"Maybe one day," I sighed. "Anyway, trig homework calls my name."

"Call me when you find out his name," She said then hung up.

I threw my phone onto my bed and grabbed my bag again. I spread my homework out across my bed and sighed. While working I pondered why I never stood up to my parents.

I guess it was because I was scared. I may have a defiant personality at school, but at home, that goes out the window. I'm a completely different person around my parents and I hate it. The girl I am at school is so much more me than the girl at home.

Maybe if I learned to say no, I wouldn't be so bitter either. I sighed and dropped my pencil. I need food.

I jumped off my bed and went downstairs.

"Oh, Charlotte, you're already down here, good." Mom said when I entered the kitchen. "I talked to Carry and she thinks it's a wonderful idea. They'll come over for dinner tomorrow so you and James can meet then you'll go out on Friday."

I faked a smile, "Sounds good."

I turned around and went back upstairs, forgetting about my quest for food. At least he had a hot name, not that I was that shallow.

I had mixed feels about this "date". How many blind dates set up by parents actually work out? Especially by parents like mine.

I finished my homework and spent the rest of the night hoping and praying something would happen to change their minds about this.

-x-

Alex's POV

Today, I was actually looking forward to English – something that rarely ever occurs. I slightly regretted sounding so disinterested in my first letter to Charlie. Now she's going to think I'm some shallow asshole who only cares about partying.

That's probably because you are that annoying voice popped in. I didn't deny it because I knew it was true. I met up with Jack half way to class.

"Are you going to Katelyn's party this weekend?" He asked.

Look proof.

"Duh," I chuckled. "Have I ever missed a huge party like this one is going to be?"

"No," Jack answered. "I can't remember the last time we didn't spend a Friday night at a party."

"You make it sound like a bad thing."

He shrugged, "It's not."

I sat down, spying the pile of letters on the teacher's desk, next to her name tag that I had never bothered to read, and still didn't.

I ignored her introduction speech like always until she placed the envelope on my desk. I carefully opened it and read it. I smiled at the cute-ness. This chick seems pretty straight edge though. Not really my type.

"We get to meet these people?" I blurted.

"Well, Mr. Gaskarth, you would've known that if you paid attention," The teacher sighed. "We have arranged for us to meet up with them at the zoo."

The zoo? Really?

It went back to the letter, rereading it. She wants me to play for her. Should I? What if she doesn't like it? Wait, why do I care? She's just some random girl. I grabbed my pen and started to write.

_Dear Charlie,_

_Are you serious? You've never been to a real high school party? That's unacceptable. Everyone needs to go to one at least once in their lives. And drink, alcohol makes everything so much more fun. I'll show you what it's like to party. _

_So, according to my teacher, whose name I never bothered to learn, we're meeting at the zoo next Friday. Do you like the zoo? What's your favorite part? _

_Do you actually want to hear me sing, or was it just an attempt to inflate my ego, which is already pretty high. Either way, I'll bring my guitar. _

_As for being a virgin still, don't worry about it, plenty of people still haven't had sex either, so you're not the only one. _

_Maybe it's time to loosen up and say no to them for once. You can live your life the way your parents want to. Wow, I'm fucking deep today. _

_I'd love to continue this random facts thing we've got going, but I honestly can't think of anything that would interest you._

_From, Alex_

Reading it over I realized that I had basically subtly told her my deepest secret. What had gotten into me? I'm telling things that my best friend doesn't even know to a complete stranger and not caring. This was new.

I folded the sheet and inserted it into the envelope, handing it in. I still had 20 minutes left of class. I stared at the wall, wondering what Charlie looked like when I realized that I had her full name and school. I pulled my phone out and connected to Facebook. Thank the Lord for technology. I waited impatiently for it to load then searched her name.

Not very surprisingly we didn't have any mutual friends, but she was single. I went to her pictures and creeped through them. The first thing I noticed was that she had the prettiest eye color I had ever seen. They were grey in the center then slowly faded into a light blue. Her eyes weren't the only pretty thing about her. Her smile was bright and could probably light up any room. In one word she was beautiful.

Underneath every picture were lyrics, and it pleased me to see that most of them were Blink 182 songs, which made me even more attracted to her.

Whoa. I stopped myself. You've never met her before, calm down.

"Whatcha looking at?" Jack asked, leaning over.

"My pen pal," I answered and turned the phone to him.

"Damn, she's hot." He said. "Lucky asshole. You get the hot chick and I get the self-absorbed, self-proclaimed queen of the world."

"It can't be that bad," I laughed.

"Trust me it is. She will only talk about herself."

"I think you should take your own advice and start talking about World of Warcraft."

He laughed, "Dude, I think I might."

I pictured some blonde bimbo, someone looking almost identical to Katelyn, reading about a computer game and laughed.

The bell rang and I headed towards Physics only to be stopped by Katelyn again. I repressed the urge to push her away and keep going.

"So, since we never got to finish last time," She said, pushing against me and letting me have a clear view down her shirt. I let her lead me to the same empty classroom and we picked up where we left off.

As she kissed my neck and jaw, my thoughts wandered to whether or not Charlie was a good kisser. I ignored my sub conscience telling me it was weird to think that about someone I had never met, and continued to think about her as I let Katelyn have her fun with me.

I was relieved that the bell rang and she finally took her lips off my neck and her hands off my body.

"See you at my party tomorrow?" She asked hopefully.

"Yup," I nodded then left the room.

I caught Rian and Jack walking to their next class.

"Whoa, were you attacked by a vampire?" Jack asked.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You've got at least four hickies." Rian said.

"Oh for fuck sakes," I sighed.

"You didn't know about them?"

"Ugh, no. I zoned out while Katelyn was making out with me." I said opening my locker and reach for the black and white checkered scarf that hung with my black leather jacket. I traded my hoodie for the jacket and wrapped the scarf around my neck.

"It looks more like she made out with your neck," Jack laughed.

"She's like a goddamn leech, in more ways than one," I mumbled. "Jack, go make out with her and get her off me."

"No thanks, I'm already dealing with a psycho pen pal, I don't need Katelyn to deal with either," Jack said.

I sighed and closed my locker, following Jack and Rian to the cafeteria, thinking about what next Friday would be like.

-x-

Charlie's POV

All day Thursday I dreaded this dinner. By last period with Amber, I was shaking.

"Calm down," She tried. "It'll be fine. He'll probably be really cute and nice and a complete gentlemen. Your parents wouldn't set you up with a dick."

That was true, but it didn't make this any better. When the bell rang, it took everything I had to force myself out of my desk and to my locker where Hazel and Sydney were waiting.

"You could always fake sick," Hazel suggested.

"Mom wouldn't buy it, I'm a terrible liar," I sighed.

I drove as slow as I could get away with without being honked at or pissing anyone off. Both Sydney and Hazel wished me luck when I dropped them off and I took the really long way home.

I was glad to see that there weren't any unfamiliar cars parked in front of the house when I pulled up. I made sure my bag of clothes was hidden under the seat before getting out and going inside.

The smell of lasagne filled the house. At least we're eating something good.

"Are you excited to meet James?" Mom asked as I walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah," I forced a smile and grabbed a box of Oreos before going up to my room.

"Don't forget to dress nicely!" Mom called after me.

I rolled my eyes and threw everything on the bed and opened the box of cookies. Thank God for a high metabolism.

I chewed on the cookie while flipping through my closet. Of course they expected me to wear a dress. I settled on a cream colored dress with a butterfly pattern. I found matching black flats with a similar design on the bows. I skipped showering since I didn't have much time. It's not like I smelt bad anyway. I pulled my hair into a clip and curled the ends.

I had just enough time to touch up my makeup and add a little bit of jewelry when the doorbell rang.

"Charlotte!" My mom called.

I took a deep breath and went downstairs.

-x-

Here's her outfit: polyvore . com/cgi/set?id=40322844


	4. Chapter 4

I held my breath as I came down the stairs. In the door way I saw three people: a short, chubby woman standing next to a taller man with greying hair, and behind them a boy who looked my age, who I assumed to be James.

Looks wise, he wasn't too bad, with short dark spikey hair and blue eyes. He had a nice smile and stood a couple inches taller than me. He was cute.

"Carry, Derek and James, I'd like you to meet our daughter, Charlotte," Mom introduced me once I got to the door.

"It's great to meet you," Carry said, giving me a hug.

"We've heard many great things about you," Derek said.

"Thank you," I smiled politely.

"Why don't you and James go get acquainted while the adults break into the wine?" Dad suggested.

I shrugged, leading James away from them.

"So you're the infamous Charlotte," He smiled once they were out of ear shot.

"Charlie," I corrected him.

"My apologies," He nodded. We went upstairs and showed him my room, leaving the door opening. I saw him notice the box of Oreos still on my bed and smile. I grabbed them and offered him one.

"So what do you think about our parents setting us up?" I asked as he reached in.

"If I would have known I was being set up with someone so beautiful I would have pushed to meet sooner," He said.

I barely blushed at his compliment, "Aren't you charming?"

"I get the feeling you aren't quite the same girl your parents described," He pointed out.

I laughed dryly, "I am but I'm not. It depends what mood you catch me in."

"Do I sense a rebel?"

"Oh God no. I like living and if I rebelled I they'd kill me." I said.

"But you've considered it?"

I shrugged, "Once or twice, but it's take a damn special person to talk me into anything."

He just nodded, looking at me curiously.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You're just a really hard person to read," He said. "I can't tell if you're the perfectly in control girl I've been told you are, or wild and carefree."

"Neither can I," I sighed. "I'm neither really; just what everyone labels me to be."

He opened his mouth to say something when my mom called us down to eat. He followed me out of my room and down into the dining room where the four adults sat. I took my seat on the opposite side of the table from James' parents, him sitting next to me.

"Are you guys getting to know each other?" Mom asked.

I nodded, "Yes."

"Fantastic," Carry beamed. "I hope things work out."

Well when you're being forced into a relationship with no choice, obviously things are going to work whether we like it or not.

I sat and ate quietly while Mom and Dad talked about work with Carry and Derek. Nothing they said interested me until I heard them discussing Hazel's family.

"They aren't very well off," Mom said.

"And they have what, three kids that aren't even theirs to take care of?" Carry added.

"I heard they can't have kids." Dad threw in.

"They're oldest adopted child, Hazel, doesn't even make good grades," Mom said with a hint of disgust. "She barely passes half her classes. What's she going to do in the future?"

I couldn't believe them! How could they sit there and discuss how someone else is raising their child! The Evan's were good people with good intentions. Hell, they took in my best friend. So what they couldn't afford nice things? They were doing a hell of a lot more for people than my parents.

I abruptly stood up, stopping the conversation and left the dining room with my plate. I rinsed it off and put it in the dishwasher so the workers had less to clean up. Then I stomped up to my room. I didn't care that I'd get in shit for making a scene when they left.

I slammed my door and paced back and forth in anger until a knock on my door stopped me.

"Charlie?"

I opened the door to find James looking down at me, concerned.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine, just annoyed." I answered, letting him in, this time closing the door behind him.

"What was that all about?"

"The people that they were so harshly judging are the people that took my best friend in and have been raising her. Without them, she would have been on the streets or in a worse situation. I can't believe they could say such rude things about them and Hazel!" I ranted.

"You can't really blame them," James said quietly. "They have a point."

My jaw almost hit the ground. "Really? And what is that point? That doing good things is bad because they don't have a ton of money?"

He didn't have an answer, instead he just stood there opening and closing his mouth like a fish. And I actually thought he was a decent person.

I sighed and flopped down on my bed, expecting him to leave, but he didn't.

"Look, I'm sorry but," He started when someone knocked on the door. I got up and opened it to see my mom standing there, not looking too happy.

"James, your parents are leaving," She said then gave me a look that told me I was in deep shit.

We both shuffled downstairs.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," He said, but it sounded like more of a question. I nodded and closed the door behind him as he stepped out with his parents.

"Charlotte Marie Parker," Mom started in as soon as I turned around. "I am thoroughly disappointed in your behaviour tonight. What was that all about?"

I didn't answer, knowing it was a rhetorical question.

"Your little fit was completely embarrassing," Dad added.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, even though I really wasn't.

"You're lucky the Stevenson's are forgiving people," Mom said. "Now go to your room."

I'm glad they don't know how to properly punish me. It's probably because I've never been in serious trouble before, but whatever. I went back up to my room and changed from my dress into my pajamas and worked on my homework until it was acceptable to go to bed.

-x-

I woke up hoping that I was going to wake up with a cold or something that would get me out of this date but unfortunately I was as healthy as I was when I went to bed.

I showered and got dressed wondering how tonight was going to play out after last night. I still couldn't believe James was as shallow as my parents.

On the upside, I get my letter from Alex today so I have something to look forward to until after first period.

I picked Sydney up on time as usual, and of course she wanted details, so I gave her a rundown of what had happened.

"Holy shit! Did they honestly say that about Hazel?" Her eyes popped.

I nodded, "Yup. And they know I'm friends with her! They didn't apologize or anything either."

"Wow, I'm sorry, but your parents are assholes."

"I know," I agreed. "Now, do I tell Hazel what they said or no?"

"I don't think you should. I mean, she's already embarrassed enough about it. She doesn't need to hear that your parents don't approve."

"It's not like it's their business, but you're probably right." I sighed as I pulled into her drive way.

"How was it?" She asked getting in.

"He's shallow but cute," I answered simply.

"That sucks," She said.

I nodded and drove to school, the familiar excitement growing about reading Alex's letter.

"Have these letters back and forth generated enough excitement and curiosity to meet your pen pal?" Mr. Davis asked at the beginning of class.

Most people nodded, myself included.

"Great! Because next Friday we're going on a field trip to the zoo to meet up with the class," He said.

"Why the zoo?" Jennifer asked.

"Because we can," Mr. Davis answered. "Anyway, we're going to meet them in the butterfly exhibit thing and go from there. Now, read your letters."

I couldn't open mine fast enough when I got it. I was glad he sounded slightly more interested in this one. I was confused at the part where he said he'd show me what it was like to party. Was that an invitation to go to a party with him one day?

I tried not to overthink what he said as kept reading. It made me grin when he said he was going to bring his guitar. I was really excited to hear him play for me.

What he said about being a virgin actually comforted me too. Jen, Jessica and Michaela always made it seem like such a terrible thing that I hadn't whored myself out like they did.

"What?" Jennifer screeched. "This nerd plays World of Warcraft!"

I laughed. Only Jen would be so disgusted by a game.

_Dear Alex,_

_Whatever Jack is saying to Jennifer, encourage him to keep doing it, it's hilarious. I never answered your questions about who she was. She is the queen here. Everyone bows down to her. I don't know why. She's not that great and her life goal is to make mine miserable. It doesn't work most of the time. _

_I adore the zoo. My favorite part is actually the butterfly exhibit, especially the part where you can go into the area with all the different species and have them land on you. Call me weird, but something about it is really romantic. _

_Want to hear something fucked up, even though you probably won't care? My parents decided to set me up with one of their co-workers sons and we had dinner last night at my house and both his and my parents sat there and shit talked my best friend and her family. And the guy ended up being as shallow as them and I still have to go on a date with him tonight. Save me, please? _

_And don't worry about running out of facts, I don't have any either. My life is so boring sometimes. Well, all the time really. _

_Sorry to dump on you. I feel like I'm being annoying. Anyway, since you won't read this until Monday, how was your weekend?_

_From Charlie_

I really hadn't meant to rant to him, but I felt a weird connection to him. Like he actually cared? Or maybe I was delusional. Either way, it was too late now.

Now that the only thing I was looking forward to was over, my mood dropped drastically.

I slowly walked to Chemistry with Hazel when Jen basically body checked me into a locker.

"Wow, fat ass, watch where you're going," She laughed, Jessica backing her up.

I let it go, picking up the text book that I dropped and kept going.

"Whoa, that was weird," Hazel said.

"What was?" I asked.

"You just let it go, not even a sarcastic remark. What's gotten into you?"

I shrugged, something that had seemed to become habitual lately, "It's really not worth my time."

We took our seats in Chemistry and I half-heartedly listened to the lecture. I repeated this through all of my classes for the rest of the day.

When the bell rang I couldn't decide if I was relieved or not.

"Where's he taking you out to?" Amber asked me as we walked towards our cars.

"I don't even know," I answered.

"Text me when you find out and if anything goes wrong or you get sick of him, I'll pick you up and you can just sleep over and deal with everything tomorrow, okay?"

"I just might take you up on that offer," I said and then got into my car with Hazel and Sydney. Just like every other day, I drove them home and then went home.

When I got inside, I could tell that Mom and Dad were still slightly mad about last night, so I didn't bother trying to hold a conversation with them.

"What time is James picking me up?" I asked.

"6," Mom stated.

I nodded then went to my room before she could say anything else.

And now we come to the fun part, picking out something to wear, again. I didn't know where we were going so I didn't know what to wear. Obviously I'd be stuck in another dress again. Thankfully the November weather was still warm enough.

After an hour of trying things on I found a simple black dress that would just have to work because I didn't have much time. I rushed to do my hair and makeup. Just as I finished spraying my frizz down the doorbell rang. I checked the time on my phone. It was exactly 6. Can you say extremely punctuate?

It was like déjà vu all over again as I grabbed my bag with my wallet, keys and phone in it and went downstairs, trying to prepare myself for this date.


	5. Chapter 5

Alex's POV

The second the bell rang on Friday I almost ran to my locker then to my car with Jack so Katelyn could corner me. I knew she was going to try to convince me to go over early for some pre-party fun and I just didn't want to put up with her. It was bad enough she was going to be all over me at the party.

"Can't you just say no?" Jack asked as I drove to my house.

"I have trust me, she keeps coming back." I groaned.

"Spray her with bug repellent?" He suggested and I burst into laughter.

"I wish that worked."

I pulled up in front of my house and we both went inside. The house was empty since both my parents were still at work.

"Alright, video games and pizza?" I said, picking up the house phone.

"Sounds good man," He agreed, flopping onto the couch and setting the game up while I ordered.

We spent the next three hours yelling at the TV and filling our faces with grease and cheese. After losing again, Jack stood up.

"I think we should probably head to Katelyn's."

It was 8:30 and her party had started at 7.

"Probably, or she'll blow my phone up with texts until I do," I sighed.

I grabbed my keys off the counter and we got back into my car. I drove the short distance to Katelyn's house and ended up having to park halfway down the block. The party was in full swing and people were everywhere.

I pushed my way through the crowd of people while getting patted on the back and greetings thrown at me. I finally got to the kitchen and grabbed two beers.

If I was going to be dealing with Katelyn all night, I at least needed to be half drunk. I found Jack with Rian and handed him a beer.

We stood around talking over the loud music for a bit until Katelyn finally appeared in a mini skirt and barely there tank top.

"Oh hey, there you are, I've been looking for you," She smiled.

She pressed her lips against mine and I could taste the alcohol on her breath.

I pulled back as Jack and Rian walked away, Jack throwing an amused look at me. I flipped him off before he disappeared into the kitchen.

"So," She slurred, "I was thinking tonight could be a really special night."

Nothing at a high school party could be considered special.

I chugged the rest of the beer hoping it would kick in soon. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten before coming; I could've gotten drunk faster. She laughed at absolutely nothing and I decided another drink would be needed.

She clung onto me as I made my way back into the kitchen. This was going to be a long night.

-x-

Charlie's POV

"So where do you want to go?" He asked as we got into his car.

"You mean you didn't plan where we were going?" I asked.

"Well no."

I sighed. "There's a small restaurant on 34th street. It has good food."

He headed in the direction of the restaurant. "So how have you been?"

"Fantastic," I answered with a hint of sarcasm, "You?"

"I've been great," He answered, obviously not catching the sarcasm.

I didn't answer any more of his small his small talk until we got to the restaurant. We got a small table in the back.

Our waitress, who's little black dress was a little too little, came to take our order.

He openly stared down her shirt as she bent over to give him a better view and flirted with him.

"And you?" She raised an eyebrow and gave me a bitchy look once she was done giving him a show.

"The Caesar salad," I ordered and she smirked.

She walked away and James' eyes planted on her ass until she was out of sight. Great, he's shallow and a dick. What else could possibly happen? This was going to be a long night.

-x-

Alex's POV

I lost track of time and how many beers I had had since Katelyn found me. My head was swimming and everything was funny. Katelyn was even standable. Alcohol made everything better.

I was sitting on the couch with Katelyn giving me another hickey and drinking another beer when she detached herself from my neck.

"Why don't we go upstairs?" She grinned.

Alcohol clouded my judgement and before logic could kick in she was dragging me to the stairs. I stumbled a few times, but managed get up and follow her into an empty room.

She pushed me onto the bed and got on top of me. Something told me I should stop her, but my body just wouldn't stop taking her shirt off. I couldn't regain control, not even when my pants came off.

This was definitely a night I was going to regret in the morning.

Charlie's POV

I sat, picking at my food, as James went on and on about himself. I swear he was more conceited than Jennifer, which was saying something.

I even considered telling him to shut up a couple times. I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone.

To: Amber Walker  
>From: Charlie Parker<br>You know that restaurant on 34th?

"Isn't it kinda rude to be texting while on a date?" James asked.

I almost lost my temper, but instead just shrugged, "It might have been an emergency."

The look on his face read _what could possibly be more important than me? _

"Please, go on," I told him. He dove right back into another story about how much a girl wanted to sleep with him while I read my new text.

To: Charlie Parker  
>From: Amber Walker<br>I'll be there in 10

I let a relieved breath, thankful for my friends. Only ten more minutes of this torture.

The waitress came back, "Dessert?"

I shook my head immediately and handed her my half eaten salad. James asked for the cheque and just kept talking. It blew my mind how much he talked.

The bitch of a waitress took forever bringing back the cheque. We were still waiting when Amber told me she was here.

By this time I had had enough. I stood up, grabbing my bag.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"My ride is here," I stated.

"What?"

"My friend is here to pick me up," I repeated slowly.

"So you're just going to leave me here with the cheque?" He asked, looking shocked.

I rolled my eyes and pulled out my wallet, slapping a $20 bill on the table. "There."

I spun around and also collided with the bitchy waitress who was carrying a tray full of calamari and dumped it all over herself.

I struggled not to fall onto the floor laughed. "Oops."

I stepped over her and the mess and left the restaurant. I spotted Amber's car and got in.

"Drive," I told her, just in case James saw who I was leaving with. She peeled out of the parking lot and headed to her house.

This was definitely going to be something I regretted in the morning.

-x-

Alex's POV

I woke up with a pounding pain in my head and my arm numb. I laid still trying to make the fuzzy, blurriness go away. The light pouring in from the window didn't help at all.

It took me awhile to realize that I was also naked and there was someone next to me in the bed. I looked over to see Katelyn lying next to me, the source of the numbness in my arm. Lifting the sheet slightly, I saw she was also naked.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

I pulled my arm out from under her, waking her up.

"Good morning, Stud," She smirked.

"Did we…?" I asked.

She nodded, "And man, was it good."

I tried to keep the horrified look off my face. How could I have been so stupid? Regret welled up instantly. I sat up and reached for my pants off the ground.

The only thing that was worse than losing it to Katelyn was the fact that I could remember what it was even like.

"Where are you going?" She whined.

"Home," I stated, pulling my pants on and grabbing my shirt.

I ignored her plea for me to stay and left the room. I found my phone sitting on the counter with 6 missed texts, mostly from Jack.

Before Katelyn could come get me, I walked out of the house and to my car.

I still couldn't believe what I had done. I felt like such an idiot and dirty. Why did it have to be with her? Why not at least someone decent? I don't care if that was really harsh either. Everyone has lost count of how many guys she's slept with.

I sped home and jumped right into the shower, trying to wash away the remains of last night.

Part of me was glad I couldn't remember what it was like. I didn't want the memories of something I regret so much.

After a long shower that didn't help much, I took drugs to get rid of my hangover and fell into bed, hoping that this was just a really bad dream.

-x-

Charlie's POV

Once we got to Amber's she pulled out the cookie dough and turned the TV on for background noise and I told her everything that had happened from dinner up until she picked me up.

"Holy shit. Your parents are dicks and so is James! How could they set you up with someone like that?"

"I guess he's polite around parents and a complete douche around everyone else," I shrugged.

"Boys are such assholes," She shook her head, "But I can't believe that waitress! She totally got what she deserved."

"It was so fucking hilarious." I laughed with her and reached for the cookie dough when my phone rang.

I picked it up and my stomach dropped when Mom's number appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" I answered, holding my breath.

"Charlotte Marie Parker where the hell are you?" Mom yelled.

"At a friend's house," I answered meekly.

"Get home right this second!" She demanded and hung up.

"I think I should go…" I mumbled, putting the cookie dough down and grabbing my bag.

"You should just tell her no and stay the night anyways." Amber suggested, walking to the door with me.

"I don't know if it would make her angrier or let her calm down," I said, "But I really should just go."

"One day you'll have to stand up to her."

"Hopefully that day comes later in the future, and she's less angry," I joked then hugged Amber before stepping out of her house.

I was glad her house was only a few blocks from mine because it was chilly and I was still in my dress. Not to mention that it was dark.

I slowed my pace down when I got to my block. I can only imagine how pissed off they are. I finally got there and slowly opened the door.

Mom was standing right there, ready to pounce.

"I cannot believe you Charlotte," She started before my shoes were even off. "What the hell were you thinking leaving James for another boy? How dare you do something so low."

"Wait, wait, wait," I stopped her. "He told you I left with another guy?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"I didn't leave with another guy though," I said, getting a bit defensive.

"Really? Because that's not what James told us." Dad jumped in.

"Why would I lie about it?" I challenged. "I was at Amber's."

"I think the real question here is why you left in the first place," Mom said.

I was silent. How do I tell them that he's a complete pig?

"Well, I uh, I…" I stuttered.

"Do you know how incredibly rude and insensitive that is?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, but I—"

"Do you also know how embarrassing your behavior tonight and last night has been? I expect more from you Charlotte. No phone for a week." She stated.

I took my phone out of my pocket, locked it and handed it to her.

"You can go to your room now," She commanded.

Did I mention how much I love how they can't punish properly? This is only the third time I've ever been in trouble in my life, I swear.

And the strange thing is, I found it more amusing than I do terrifying.

I changed out of my dress, having that sense of déjà vu again. I crawled into bed wondering if Mom and Dad were going to make me go out with James again. I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing him, or anyone like him.

I found myself wondering what Alex was like again. Was he as shallow as James? Or would he be sweet and caring like I expected him to be? As I slowly slipped into unconsciousness I started to fantasize about meeting him.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex's POV

Monday morning was rainy and bleak, just like my mood. I was still filled with regret about Friday and it just wouldn't go away.

I pulled my hoodie sleeves down over my hands and crossed my arms as I slumped into my desk in English. Jack walked in and plopped down beside me.

"Hey man. What happened to you Friday?" He asked.

"Katelyn," I answered.

"Did you…?" He raised an eyebrow. Why would no one bring themselves to say it?

I nodded and repressed the urge to sigh.

"Nice!" He nodded. "How was it?"

I shrugged, "Wouldn't know, I can't remember a thing; too much beer."

"Did you at least use protection?"

"Now you sound like my mother," I half-heartedly joked.

He grinned but sobered, "Just making sure you don't become a daddy at 17."

"My worst nightmare," I said shaking my head.

I zoned out until the teacher passed out the letters. I was eager to read what Charlie has written. I spent the better part of Sunday thinking about her.

I felt bad that she had to be terrorized by some bitch that was jealous and her parents. Wow. How does she not snap back at them? The part about the date made my heart sink. I stopped questioning why I felt like this and just rolled with it.

_Dear Charlie, _

_Whoever that Jennifer bitch is, she's probably just jealous of you. Don't give her the time of day, she'll get bored eventually and find a new victim. It's terrible for them but. _

_If I could have saved you from that date I would have, maybe then both our weekends would have been better. How was the date?_

_As for my weekend, well, have you ever done something you've regretted so badly and you would give anything to take back but you can't because you're stupid and let yourself get out of control? That's exactly what I did this weekend and I can't wash away the regret no matter how hard I scrub. I can't even talk about it with Jack because he doesn't even know what happened or why I'd regret it. _

_Boring sometimes is a lot better than adventure, trust me. _

_Don't worry about feeling like you're dumping on me, after that last paragraph I think it's safe to say I dumped more. It's just one of those things you have to get off your chest, y'know? _

_From Alex_

I was surprised at myself that I told her all that. Usually it was Jack that I went to about all my problems, but somehow I was almost more comfortable telling this almost stranger. Well, she wasn't a stranger anymore. With everything that we had told each other, it was almost like we were friends.

I handed the letter in and went back to my seat. Jack sat there giggling to himself.

"What's so amusing?" I asked.

"Do you think I should dress up as a character from WOW to freak her out?" He asked.

I laughed, "Do it. She'll shit so many bricks."

"You need to get it on film or something."

I nodded in agreement, "Bring the stuff and you can dress up when we get there."

I was excited to see how this Jennifer bitch would react to Jack dressed as some goblin or whatever was in that damn game.

I realized that after telling Charlie all that, I felt a lot better. Not completely guilt and regret less, but still better than I had.

Maybe she was someone I needed in my life.

-x-

Charlie's POV

"Please tell me you're kidding," Hazel said as I gave them a rundown of Friday night while driving to school.

"I really wish I was," I chuckled, "It was like a date from hell."

"He seems like he's from hell."

"Trust me, he is." I agreed and parked the car.

"Do you think your parents are going to make you go out with him again?" Sydney asked.

"I hope not," I said. "I think they believe me when I said I was at Amber's so they'll know he lied so."

"Exhibit A of why parents should never set their children up on dates," Hazel laughed.

"Especially parents like mine," I added, joining her laughter.

I found myself thinking about Alex all through English as we watch Monsters Inc. I wish I had another way to talk to him other than through letters every other day.

Would it kill the purpose of this project to add him on Facebook? Would he find that weird?

I stopped myself before I could overthink that and pulled out a notebook and began to scribble lyrics to distract myself.

I was really excited to meet him on Friday. It felt like we were becoming friends slowly. He was really easy to talk to, or write to which ever, and I could overlook the fact that he partied.

He was one of those people I needed in my life.

-x-

The rest of the day was boring, other than a few stabs from Jennifer about my shoes not matching my shirt and that I walked like a penguin. I swear, sometimes she had the mentality of a 10 year old spoiled brat.

I can count on one hand how many times her insults actually had an effect on me and I had been her personal victim since freshman year.

I got home to find Mom waiting by the door. What did I do this time?

"Hi?" I asked cautiously.

"Do you have plans Wednesday night?" She asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "No, why?"

"Good, you're going out with James," She stated.

"But—"

"And you are also going to apologize for your inexcusable behavior on Friday and actually be respectful this time," She went on.

Was she really going to make me go out with him again after he lied to her?

"I—"

"No if, ands or buts about it Charlotte," She stopped me then left the room.

I was ready to scream as I forced myself not to stomp up the stairs and slam my door. What the fuck is going through her head? Obviously there was a reason I left the date! Why was so she insistent on me seeing him again?

I repressed the urge to throw something expensive across the room and rolled into my bed. I couldn't even call Hazel, Syd or Amber because she took my phone.

My stomach rumbled and I decided that food would be a great idea right now. I got up and crept down the stairs, stopping when I heard voices in the kitchen.

"She's not too happy about it," I heard mom say.

"It's just one more date, and she owes it to us after what happened last week. Plus, we need this." Dad said. "If they Stevenson's don't agree to this offer it'll take an extra 30 days for us to get the money. This way we get it as soon as possible."

My jaw hit the ground. They're using me to impress them for an advance on money? I couldn't fucking believe this. I forgot about my quest for food and went back to my room, my anger at an all-time high.

I started pacing again, something I seem to do when I'm angry now. I stopped after my legs got tired and grabbed my bag, tossing my clothes and books into it then went downstairs.

"Mom, can I go spend the night at Sydney's?" I asked. "She's having a bad day and could use a friend."

"I guess so," She answered.

"Thanks," I nodded and left. It took a lot of self-control not to blurt out that I heard everything they said.

I jumped into my car and drove the short distance to Syd's house. She answered the door looking confused.

"What's up, Charlie?" She raised an eyebrow letting me in. I greeted her parents then followed her up to her room.

"I can't fucking believe them! They're using me for their own personal benefit like I'm some object!" I ranted, starting to pace again.

"What are you talking about?" She asked calmly.

"The only reason they want me to go out with James is so that his parents will accept some deal or offer my parents made to get money faster," I was almost yelling.

"What the fuck?" She almost screamed. "How can they be so Goddamn low?"

"I don't know!"

"That's bullshit. Wow."

"I know!"

I flopped down onto the bed with her and she hugged me. I was almost in tears from frustration. How could they do this to me?

"They're making me see him again on Wednesday," I said a lot more quietly this time.

"Just stick it out, okay? It's only one more date and then hopefully you never have to see him again."

"I don't want to see him to begin with." I sighed. "He's such a prick."

"Just go see a movie with him, something you'll enjoy so it won't be so terrible."

"That's not a bad idea."

We sat in silence for a while, while I worried about Wednesday.

"Oh, hey," I said, "Mind if I spend the night?"

She chuckled, "Yeah sure. Mom won't mind either."

"Good, because I really don't want to be at home."

We spent the rest of the night chowing down on junk food and talking about boys like typical girls. Getting ready in the morning took longer because we kept talking and complaining about how tired we were so we were slightly late picking Hazel up, and by slightly I mean twenty minutes.

Somehow we still managed to get to class on time, given we were all out of breath and laughing.

"One day, Charlie, you will be late, I promise," Mr. Davis said as I sat down.

"I doubt it," I grinned. He passed out the letters and I read mine excitedly.

It made my heart and my stomach drop that Alex had actually vented to me about things Jack didn't even know. It made me feel even closer to him and we hadn't even met.

_Dear Alex,_

_It sounds like you're carrying a huge burden with you. Do you mind me asking what happened? It's totally cool if you don't want to. I'm sorry for whatever it is though, even though I really can't relate since I've never stuck a toe out of line until last week. _

_As for the date, I've only been on like two in my 17 years of living but this one was by far the worst. He was a complete prick. He flirted with the waitress, talked about only himself and expected me to pay. I know I sound like a princess but it just bothers me how he was just so rude. I could just be making a bigger deal out of this than I should be. Either way, mom and dad are forcing me to see him again tomorrow. I also found out the only reason they set me up was to get his parents to accept a business offer sooner. _

_Sometimes I really wish I could run away and live my life the way I want it, y'know? _

_No to be extremely creepy or anything but I'm looking forward to meeting you on Friday. It'll be nice to finally put a face to the words._

_From Charlie_

Okay, that last sentence was really stupid but whatever. I slipped it into the envelope and handed it into Mr. Davis.

"How's it coming along?" He asked.

"Good, surprisingly," I smiled.

"Still think it's stupid?"

I shook my head, "Not as much."

He chuckled, "I want to high five the kid who Jennifer picked out. He's driving her crazy."

"Good," I laughed and sat back down. Friday really couldn't come fast enough. I really wish I could just go home and sleep and wake up on Friday, skipping the whole date and dealing with my parents. I dropped my head on my desk and sighed heavily. Something new and exciting needed to happen soon because I was sick and tired of the same repetitiveness day after day.


	7. Chapter 7

Alex's POV

I was almost going insane from anticipation by Wednesday. I was fidgety and bouncy and Rian was ready to kill me.

"Can you sit still? Jesus, Jack can sit still longer than you can," He joked. "I'm scared to see what you'll be like on Friday."

"Shut up," Was the only thing I could come up with.

When the teacher handed me my letter I almost ripped it open, but didn't so I didn't rip it. As creepy as it may be, I had kept all the letters from her which made me wonder what she had done with mine.

As I read it, I got increasingly angry with this James kid. Where does he get off treating Charlie like shit? And her parents, holy shit. How does she manage to keep it all together?

I contemplated telling her what happened before answering.

_Dear Charlie,_

_I can't tell you all my secrets before we meet. But basically before this weekend, everyone thought I was someone who I really wasn't but now I've turned into that person. Does that make any sense? _

_Wow, you don't kid when you say you're innocent do you? Someone needs to teach this guy some manners on how to treat a girl. How did date number two go? _

_I don't even know what to do about your parents. I would go crazy if mine did that to me. What's stopping you from living your life the way you want to? They can't say no if you don't take no for an answer. Take charge of things and they just might stop pushing you around._

_It's not creepy at all. I actually wanted to say the same thing but I didn't have to balls to say it first. _

_From Alex_

I felt jealous of James. He was a complete dick and gets to go on a date with Charlie.

I stopped myself. Why was I jealous of someone I'd never met for dating another person I've never met?

Did I have a crush on someone I had just met through a letter?

I shook my head. There's no way that could even be possible.

But why was getting her letter the best part of my day and any other time I was bummed out? Why did I fall asleep imagining what it would be like to meet her?

I pushed the thought out of my mind like I had been since this started and forced myself to focus on something else.

This was really not going the way I planned it.

Charlie's POV

The knot of dread was back as I drove home from Sydney's. She offered to let me hide in her closet for a week and I almost said yes.

Without uttering a word to my parents I went straight up to my room and got ready. Fuck the dresses and skirts; I'll be wearing skinnies and a nice shirt.

I pulled on the only plain black skinnies my parents thought I owned and picked out a blouse. I didn't bother doing anything special with my hair. Why dress up for a date you don't even want to be on?

I worked on homework until the doorbell rang. Great, time to apologize for something I'm really not that sorry for. I slammed the textbook closed and slipped on a pair of black flats then went downstairs.

James stood in the doorway looking smug.

"Do you have anything to say?" Mom pushed.

"I'm sorry for my rude behavior on Friday," I said.

"Apology accepted," He nodded. I could tell he was holding back a smirk which made me want to stomp on his foot and go back to my room.

I followed him out to his car after saying bye to my parents. I didn't say a word to him as we got into his car and he drove off.

-x-

The date was completely terrible, I guess. He actually paid the bill this time but still all he could talk about was himself. I checked out a couple times, lost in thought about meeting Alex in less than two days which is what made me get through the date.

As he pulled up in front of my house, I was ready to jump out of the car and run into my house and never have to look at him again.

I pulled on the door handle but it wouldn't open. "Uh, mind unlocking it?"

He shook his head and leaned over, pulling my head towards his. Our lips almost connected when I pulled back.

"What are you doing?" I asked, giving him a disgusted look.

"Giving you a kiss goodnight," He stated, moving closer again.

"Uh, no. That wasn't in the agreement." I said and tried to open the door again.

"The way I see it, Princess, is either you kiss me or mommy and daddy get an earful about how date number two was even worse than the first." He said.

"But that's what we like to call lying. Just like you lied about how I left with another guy." I spat at him.

"Who are they going to believe though?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Their daughter who's been in trouble recently or the perfect gentleman they think I am?"

Was he really blackmailing me into kissing him? I rolled my eyes and pecked him quickly.

"Happy?"

He shook his head, "I was a real kiss. "

He pulled my head in a third time and this time our lips connected. His were dry and chapped and I could still taste the garlic on his breath, making me want to hurl into his mouth.

I pulled back the second he tried sticking his tongue in my mouth.

"There, now let me out." I demanded. He unlocked the door and I climbed out, almost running to the door.

"How was it?" Mom asked before the door was even closed.

"Fine." I answered.

"No mishaps this time?"

"No."

She opened her mouth to ask something else but I brushed past her and went upstairs. I really didn't want to hear it.

I changed and collapsed onto my bed, letting out a long sigh. I did it. I don't have to see that fucker ever again. Now to focus on more important things, like reading Alex's letter tomorrow. I was excited as always, and also a little bit nervous.

My sub conscience told me I liked him but I denied it. There was no way I could like someone I'd never seen in person and had only been talking to for two weeks.

And even if I did, it's not like he'd like me back. Things like that don't happen to people like me. He seems like he's be the type who likes a party girl. Well no shit since he is dating a party girl, or at least a girl who looks like a partier.

I sighed again and turned off the light, thinking of what it would be like to have someone like Alex fall in love with me.

-x-

I skipped through the hallways the next morning with Hazel attached to me.

"Why are you so happy? Was the date decent?" Sydney asked as I stopped inches away from her.

"No, it was terrible." I answered.

She gave me a weird look, "Then why are you so happy?"

I shrugged, "Can a girl just not be happy? Now let's go to English!"

I grabbed her hand and Hazel's and continued to skip.

Once we got there and took our seats Sydney turned to me, "I see what this is about."

"What?" I tried to poker face it.

"Do you like Alex?" She asked bluntly.

"What? No. That's kinda impossible since I've never met him."

"It can happen," She answered, "It would just go to show that you can fall for someone's personality without knowing what they look like."

"Still, I don't like him," I denied. She shrugged and I couldn't tell if she believed me or not.

I controlled myself as I got my letter just to prove to her I didn't. It was disappointed when I noticed it was shorter than I expected.

_Dear Alex,_

_I totally understand how you feel. _

_Date number two wasn't as terrible as the first but he was still a self-conceited ass clown. He even blackmailed me into kissing him and he tasted like garlic. Needless to say, I almost puked. But as far as I know I'll never have to go out with him again, thank the Lord._

_I don't know what's holding me back, honestly. Everyone asks me that but there's just something there that won't let me go. I hope one day I can finally break away from them and do things my way._

_On a happier note, tomorrow is the big day. Don't forget your guitar (:_

_From Charlie_

I folded the paper and slipped it in the envelope and put his letter in my binder with the rest.

I was displeased with my response but I'm sure tomorrow will give us plenty to talk about.

What if it's awkward though? Or he realizes just how lame I really am? Or what if he thinks Jennifer or Jessica is better than me? What if he falls for one of them?

I just want him all to myself.

I ignored the voice telling me that was weird and tuned into Amber and Hazel talking about what to wear which brought a whole new set of questions to my mind.

I spent the rest of the day worrying about what to wear and what Alex would think of me. It was funny because up until this point, I had never given a shit about what other people thought of me and now it was all I could think of.

Instead of dropping Sydney off at home, I drove us both to my house.

"Uh, my house is four blocks in that direction," She said as I pulled up.

"I know, but if you had really objected to not going home, you would've said something when I passed your house," I pointed out as we walked up the drive way.

"Why am I here anyway?" She asked.

"Hey, mom," I said, ignoring Syd. "Sydney and I have a project to work on."

"Alright, have fun." Mom nodded.

We got to my room and she looked at me, "We don't have a—oh I see what this is about."

"You do?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"You need something to wear tomorrow, don't you?"

I sighed, "Sorta."

Without any other questions she went over to my closet and opened the back to reveal my clothes my parents had no idea I had. Without thought she threw a pair of plain black True Religion skinnies at me, followed by a striped shirt.

"Add a pair of low converses and you are good to go," She grinned.

"How do you do that?" I asked, astonished at her ability to make such great outfits without even trying.

"It's a gift that I abuse," She shrugged.

We sat down and actually worked on homework so I wasn't technically lying to mom. I was glad she didn't ask why I cared so much about what I wore tomorrow but before she left she gave me a look that told me she already knew without me having to tell her. I got the feeling that Saturday she'd be demanding answers.

-x-

Alex's POV

Friday morning I was so excited and nervous I almost forgot to put pants on and I drove over the speed limit to get to school.

For the first time all semester I was actually early for class and I almost gave my teacher a heart attack. I balanced my guitar case against the desk next to me and bounced my knee impatiently.

It was a long 20 minute wait for everyone to get in a settled and an even longer 15 minute lecture of behavior. Yes, I get it, don't feed Jack to the tiger and don't streak through the garden. I know how to behave at a zoo.

Finally we loaded onto the big ugly yellow bus. Jack sat next to me with a giant duffle bag.

"What're you dressing up as?" I asked.

"I don't know. I borrowed it from my cousin. He went into an hour long explanation that I didn't listen to. It's not like she'll know either."

I laughed, "Dude, I can't believe you're actually going to do this."

"Me either, bro," He laughed.

I spent the next half an hour getting Jack to tell me all the things he had told Jennifer to piss her off and fuck with her. If it wasn't for the fact that she terrorizes Charlie, I might have felt slightly bad for her, but she deserved this.

My heart rate picked up as well pulled in front of the zoo and marched off the bus. I couldn't see another bus in view. Were they here or were they running late?

My stomach did backflips while we walked through the gate and followed the teacher to the butterfly exhibit.

It was almost empty other than a few 13 year olds skipping school trying to look cool.

"I guess they're running late," The teacher said. "Make yourselves comfortable."

I sighed and sat down on a bench surrounded by flowers. The entire exhibit was beautiful. When you walked in it led straight into a huge garden with tons of exotic flowers and plants and it smelt amazing. There were paths leading around the garden and benches placed so you could just sit and enjoy it. Off to the far left was a small door that leads into where they kept all the butterflies and let them fly around freely.

I fiddled with my guitar until I heard voices and looked up to see unfamiliar faces pouring into the garden. I hid my eagerness somehow and looked for Charlie.

My eyes landed on a head of bleach blonde hair flowing from a head with a face that wore way too much make up and way too little clothing. My best guess was that was Jennifer. She looked smug and condescending. I hope she knew what she was in for.

I continued to scan the crowd until I recognized a slightly familiar smile from a picture. I automatically knew that it was Charlie.

She laughed and looked from her friend and our eyes met.


	8. Chapter 8

Charlie's POV

The first thing I noticed when we got off the bus was that there was already another bus there. That meant that Centennial was already here.

I didn't know if I was happy we were late or not.

I shook like a leaf as we walked through the gates and followed Mr. Davis towards the garden.

"Are you excited?" Amber asked.

I nodded, "What're you going to do while everyone meets?"

"Sketch probably," She shrugged. She was an amazing artist and could probably draw the garden better than it looked.

We flooded into the garden and I tried to act calm when I saw all the random people scattered. My eyes dropped to the ground.

"Oh my God, it's so moist in here," Jennifer complained.

"Someone needs to push her into a cactus," Hazel muttered.

I laughed a little too loud and looked up, making eye contact with a boy sitting on a bench with a guitar. My heart leapt into my throat at the sudden realization that I was staring at Alex. He grinning slightly and looked away.

"I, uh, I'll be right back," I said to Hazel and Amber and pushed past them without thinking.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I heard Amber say. "He's gorgeous."

I grinned at her comment as I reached Alex. I was suddenly at loss for words.

"Uh, hi," I said shyly.

"Hey," He smiled.

"You are Alex right?" I asked, "I mean, I'm not making a fool out of myself in front of someone else right now and have to go through the whole awkward approach with another kid, right?"

He laughed and I automatically fell in love with the sound, and his contagious smile, "No, I'm Alex."

I sat down next to him, the awkwardness I felt melting away, "Thank God. I don't think I could do that twice."

"It wasn't that awkward."

I went to say something when a kid dressed up in a huge costume walked up.

"I'm sweating my balls off in this thing," He said then looked at me. "Are you Charlie?"

I nodded, "I'm going to assume you're Jack."

"Yup," He grinned. "Do you know where Jennifer is?"

I pointed to her and her groupies standing off to one side, complaining. "If your goal is to piss her off or annoy her, give her a big sweaty hug."

"That's a great idea!" He said and took off towards her.

Both Alex and I laughed and watched as Jack wrapped his arms around Jennifer who in return shrieked.

"Too bad someone couldn't have gotten a picture and sent it into year book," I laughed.

"Is she really as terrible as you described?" He asked.

"She's worse," I said.

"Oh God," He laughed again.

"Do you have an equivalent of Jennifer at your school?"

"She's not as bad but her name is Katelyn."

"Is she here?"

"No, she dropped the class thank God."

I nodded and looked at the guitar. "So, you gonna show me that you can use that thing?"

He looked nervous, but tried to hide it with a chuckle, "If you want to. Any requests?"

"Do you know any Blink 182?" I asked, hoping he'd have decent taste in music.

He strummed a few random notes before diving into All the Small Things, which was one of my favorite songs.

Having a voice of an angel was a sever understatement when it came to describing his voice. I sat and watched him, mesmerized. I barely even noticed the crowd gathering until I heard voices.

"Damn, Katelyn's boyfriend can sing too! She's so lucky."

My heart dropped to the ground but I kept a perfect poker face, something I didn't know I was capable of doing.

Alex apparently heard it too because he stopped playing.

"Uh, what?" He said looking at the girl who said it.

"You're dating Katelyn aren't you?" She asked, looking terrified to be put on the spot.

"No, who told you that?"

"She did." Someone else spoke up.

"Well we aren't so spread that around like you spread everything else." He said and then picked back up where he left off.

When he was done he looked up at my shyly, "So what did you think?"

"You are freaking amazing!" I said.

He blushed, "Thank you."

He zipped the guitar back up in the case as the teacher walked past, "Can I go put this on the bus?"

"Be quick," She nodded. He got up and looked at me, "Coming?"

I stood up and followed him out of the garden.

"So you don't seem to like Katelyn very much," I commented.

"Like I said, she's almost the equivalent of Jennifer," He said.

"It seems like there's more to the story."

-x-

Alex's POV

"Coming?" I asked her, hoping that she'd agree. My heart leapt when she stood up and started walking with me.

I could barely breathe enough to make conversation.

"So you don't seem to like Katelyn very much," She said.

That was an understatement. Right now I loathed her.

I shrugged, "Like I said, she's almost the equivalent of Jennifer."

She was really worse, to me anyway. No I wasn't going to let it go.

'It seems like there's more to the story," She pushed.

Should I tell her?

I knocked on the door of the bus and the driver opened it. "Can I help you kid?"

"I just wanna throw my guitar on here," I said and he nodded. I put it in the first seat and stepped off, rejoining Charlie.

"It's a really long story," I said.

"We've got time," She said, smiling and making me melt. She led me back to the garden and instead of going back to the bench where I was headed, she grabbed my hand. Did she feel the jolt I felt too? She pulled me over to the entrance to the butterfly exhibit.

"And now we have privacy," She added. The exhibit was completely empty. "And the butterflies can keep a secret."

We sat down on the bench in the middle and watched the butterflies flying everywhere. She still hadn't let go of my hand and I wasn't sure I wanted her to. She looked like she didn't know if she should let go or not so I squeezed her hand.

"I don't even know where to start," I sighed.

"From the beginning," She grinned slightly.

"If I tell you something, you have to swear not to ever tell anyone else okay?" I said quickly, turning to her and taking her other hand too. She let go of my hand and hooked her delicate pinky with mine.

"I swear," She nodded, looking me in the eye.

"Up until last weekend, I was a virgin." I confessed for the first time. She nodded and I went on, "But no one knew that. I had the reputation of that party guy who sleeps with girls all the time but none of it was true. One girl, I don't even remember who, said she slept with me once and everyone believed it. I just went with it of course. The fact that I was a virgin became my dirty little secret. Not even Jack knows."

She nodded again, "So where does Katelyn come into this?"

I was surprised she hadn't gotten up and left laughing yet.

"She had been trying to sleep with me all semester and I had somehow managed to weasel my way out of it every single time. Then on Friday I went to her party and had a little too much to drink and the bitch knew it. The next thing I know I'm waking up naked next to her and can't remember what happened. The thing that makes me angry is that I thought I was better than that and now I'm exactly what everyone thinks I am. I just really wanted to save it for someone I loved, y'know?"

I waited for her to definitely get up and leave me now for sounding so pathetic, but she stayed.

"You're not what everyone thinks you are," She said. "I think it's nice that you actually wanted to save yourself for someone you love. Not many guys can say they want to and actually do it. And when you meet the right girl, it won't even matter that you made a mistake one drunken night."

"I hope you're right," I sighed.

She smiled and kissed my cheek, leaving tingles where her lips connected, making me smile back.

"So which is your favorite butterfly?" I asked.

One landed on the back of the bench as I spoke. It was black with a red design, almost in the shape of a heart.

"That one," She pointed at it.

"Really?"

"No," She laughed. "I don't really know which my favorite is. They're all so beautiful."

She looked around the small room and then back at me, her grey eyes meeting mine. I could almost feel myself falling for her.

She bit her lip slightly and looked down at mine.

-x-

Charlie's POV

We lapsed into a comfortable silence just staring into each other's eyes. I never expected things to come so easy with him. I had the overwhelming urge to kiss him. The part of me that craved adventure and something new took over as I bite my lip while looking at his.

He gave me a look that knew exactly what I wanted. I leaned in slightly, him following suite. Our lips were centimetres away when the door flew open I jumped back.

"What's going on here?" Jennifer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing anymore," I answered. "What do you want?"

"I'm hiding from Jack," She said.

Alex pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Hey man, if you're looking for Jennifer, she's in the butterfly exhibit."

"Why did you do that?" She shrieked and stomped her foot as Jack burst through the door.

"Why'd you leave? I wasn't done telling you about the time I defeated the Giant with my wand by shoving it up its nose!" Jack said, still in his costume.

"Go away!" She yelled before half running out of the door with Jack following her.

"Wait, isn't that from Harry Potter?" Alex asked.

"She wouldn't know the difference anyway," I laughed. "But points to you for knowing it."

"So since you can sing and play guitar are you in a band?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yup. Obviously I'm lead singer. Jack plays guitar, Rian plays guitar and Zack is on bass."

"Rian Dawson and Zack Merrick?" I asked.

"How'd you know?"

"Hazel got paired with Rian and Sydney got Zack," I answered.

"That's pretty awesome," He chuckled.

"Yeah," I nodded.

I still wanted to kiss him and it just wouldn't go away. I checked the time, 12:45. We had 15 minutes until we had to be back at the bus. It's now or never. I looked into his chocolate brown eyes and smiled slightly hoping he'd get the hint.

He did and leaned in. I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tangled my fingers into his soft hair as our lips connected and my world exploded into fireworks. It was like the butterflies in the room had found their way into my stomach. Every part of me was on fire and tingling.

Were you supposed to feel like this kissing someone?

He pulled back and I was out of breath. That was the most amazing kiss I had ever experienced. My heart was racing and I just wanted to climb onto him and keep kissing him.

Did he feel the same way?

I looked at him again but couldn't read him other than he seemed really happy.

"Wow," He grinned.

All I could do was chuckle. The door swung open and Mr. Davis walked in.

"Time to go kiddies. Hope you had fun." He eyed me and I blushed, giving away what had just happened instantly.

We got off the bench and followed him out. I spotted Hazel and Rian walking out, laughing. Looks like they're getting along too. I scanned for Sydney but she was nowhere to be found.

We walked to the bus while I fought the urge to hold his hand, but instinct told me that wouldn't be the smartest idea right now.

When we exited the gates he pulled me over away from everyone else saying goodbye.

-x-

Alex's POV

I wanted to hold her hand the entire walk to the gate but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea. I pulled her away from the crowd.

"I wish we had more time," I confessed.

"Me too," She smiled sadly. "But we got to meet at least."

"I want to see you again," I stated, hoping I wasn't being too forward, but from what I could tell, she didn't mind.

"Would that be against the rules? Are there even rules to this?" She chuckled.

"Who cares," I shrugged. "They'll never know."

She grinned, "Alright. When and where?"

"Give me a few days. I'll give you details in my next letter."

"I'll be waiting."

I opened my arms and she stepped into a hug, wrapping her arms around me. I didn't want her to let go but I noticed everyone starting to stare and let go.

"Let's go Charlie," Her teacher called. He gave me one last smile before walking towards the bus and getting on.

I headed to the bus and Jack.

"What was that all about?" He asked. He had finally changed out of the ridiculous costume and smelt kinda terrible.

"Nothing," I shrugged and sat down with my guitar.

I ignored his presence the entire way back to school, the only thing on my mind was Charlie's lips and the next time I got to see her.


	9. Chapter 9

Charlie's POV

All weekend was spent thinking about Alex's soft lips against mine and how badly I wanted it to happen again.

I didn't know whose turn it was to write back on Monday and I was really hoping it was his. I wanted to know if he had felt the same fireworks and sensations I did.

It was safe to say I had never felt like this about a guy. I should probably feel scared about how fast this was moving, but to be honest, it was exciting. I felt more alive than I ever had and I like it.

I skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What's going on with you?" Mom asked as I spun around in a circle, smiling.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"You've been so upbeat and happy this weekend." She said.

"Is that a bad thing?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Not necessarily," She said slowly and I waved before she could try to ruin my mood.

I wasn't going to let her cynicism get me down. I drove to Sydney's like always.

"Alright, spit it out," She said getting in the car. It was scary how quickly she picked up on things.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You're going to explain to me exactly what happened in the garden on Friday because one minute you and Alex are on a bench and the next you disappear into the butterfly exhibit and come out with the biggest blush I have her seen on anyone." She said.

Fuck. I should've known someone would've noticed. But I wanted someone to share my happiness with.

"Alright, but you can't judge me." I said. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone's personality without even knowing them? And been so comfortable around them it's like you don't even have to try? That's how I felt on Friday with Alex. He was a complete 180 from James or any other guy I've been interested in. And basically I made a bold move and kissed him."

"YOU kissed HIM?" She yelled.

I nodded, "It was so tempting so I just went with it."

"What was it like?"

"My world exploded in the best way possible," I said, repressing a happy sigh.

"Like fireworks and butterflies and the whole nine yards?"

"Yup," I nodded.

"Wow. So I'm assuming you like him?"

I was quiet for a minute and then for the first time confessed it out loud, "I like him. A lot."

"That's cute!" She cooed.

"You don't think it's weird that it's only been two weeks?" I asked, surprised that she wasn't objecting.

She shrugged, "Love doesn't have a time limit."

I didn't bother to point out that I wasn't in love yet. Yet being the key word. I could honestly see myself falling in love with Alex. It was like falling in love with perfection.

I pulled up in front of Hazel's house and she got in.

"Care to share?" She asked.

"About?"

"Dude, we all saw you disappear with Alex." She looked at me skeptically.

"Okay, fine. I'll explain it all when we're with Amber."

I honestly didn't mind telling them, they were my best friends after all. It was just the fact that if someone overheard us things could get messy. I'm pretty sure the outcome of this assignment wasn't to get a boyfriend.

We got to school and Hazel made us rush so that there was enough time for me to tell her. We all took our seats ten minutes early so that the classroom was basically empty.

"Alright, speak woman," She demanded and her and Amber leaned in.

I went over the story again and they listened intently.

"Whoa. So you like someone you've barely known for two weeks?" Hazel asked.

"When you put it that way…"

"And he's a partier. I don't think this guy is good news."

My anger flared up. How could she say that? She didn't even know him. I took a deep breath and swallowed my anger as Mr. Davis started class and handed out the letters they had written after the meeting on Friday.

_Dear Charlie, _

_I would say it was a pleasure to meet you but that would be an understatement. You are unlike any other girl I've ever met, in a really good way. There's something about you that's just so intriguing and makes me want more. I don't want to be too forward but from what I can tell, you really don't mind do you? _

_I want to see you again. Tomorrow night? I'll pick you up. Hey, I'll even meet your parents if it comes down to that. I just need to see you. Please tell me you feel the same way so I don't sound like a complete fool. Any place you want to go? _

_From, Alex_

I was speechless and ecstatic. This was more than I could've ever asked for.

_Dear Alex, _

_It's good to know I'm not the only one who feels like this. I'm pretty sure I can swing tomorrow night, and even if I can't, I'll make it happen somehow. I don't care where we go as long as I'm with you. And I don't care how cheesy that sounds either. _

_From, Charlie_

"Why are you all smiles?" Sydney asked as I scribbled down my address and time.

I handed her the letter and she read it and grinned.

"That is the cutest thing I've ever seen. But your parents…"

I sighed, my mood dropping slightly. "I'll figure something out. They can't think he's that bad."

-x-

Alex's POV

I spent half my weekend worrying about what I wrote to Charlie and the other half remembering what it felt like to kiss her, the fireworks and butterflies. I had kissed a fair amount of girls and never had I reacted to a kiss like that.

I was desperately hoping she'd agree to meet me tomorrow and that she felt the same way. Hell, I didn't even know how I felt. It wasn't love yet, but it was more than a simple crush. No words could describe this and instead of backing away from it like I usually would, I wanted to take control and make it work.

I wish I would have gotten her number or something so I'd have a way to communicate with her other than every other day.

I still hadn't planned out what we were going to do either, but I wanted to show her how a guy was supposed to treat her on a date.

I was in such a good mood all day Monday until Katelyn found me at lunch.

"Hey babe," She grinned, trying to look seductive.

"Can I help you?" I asked, "Wait, no, you can help me. Why are you telling people we're dating?"

"Aren't we?" She asked.

"Did I ask you to be my girlfriend?"

"Well, no but it was implied."

"Sleeping with you while I was so drunk I couldn't remember my name doesn't imply anything." I stated and the entire cafeteria oh'd.

"I-I-I thought we'd take our relationship to the next level." She stuttered.

"Kinda working backwards there aren't we?" I was being such a dick but she pissed me off. "Look, just drop it okay? I'm not going to go out with you?"

"Why not?" She whined, making me want to rip my ears off.

"I have a girlfriend," I said. Okay, well I lied but if I got my way it wouldn't be a lie for long.

"Who?"

"That's none of your business."

Without waiting for her reply I turned and headed over to the table where Rian and Zack sat.

"You have a girlfriend?" Jack asked.

I laughed, "No, but she doesn't need to know that."

"Damn, I was hoping you were going to say you hit things off with Charlie." He said, and I kept a poker face to hide my surprise.

"Why?"

He shrugged, "She seems like an awesome person, opposed to Katelyn. And you like her so."

"Who said that?"

"We're not dumb," Rian jumped in. "It's written all over you face."

I chuckled nervously, "Oh, well then. I guess I should add that we're hanging out tomorrow then."

"Good," Jack said.

I felt a lot better that they knew and didn't disapprove. It didn't feel like I was hiding something any more. And now with Katelyn out of the way, I was free to make this work.

-x-

Charlie's POV

I spent all afternoon thinking of ways to ask my parents if I could go out with Alex. I was shaking and giddy with nerves by the time I pulled up in front of my house.

I slowly made my way up the walk way and into the house. I found mom in the kitchen of course. Here goes nothing.

"Hey mom, I have a question." I started.

"What's that?" She said without looking at me.

"I was wondering if I could go out with someone tomorrow…"

"Who?"

"A boy I met."

Her head snapped up. "Where'd you meet him?"

"Through school." It wasn't a complete lie.

"We'll have to meet him first."

"Of course," I nodded taking that as a yes. I skipped up to my room and flopped onto my bed but flew back up.

What was I going to wear? The weather had warmed up sufficiently for some reason, making it feel like summer again. It was strange but I wasn't complaining. I dialed Sydney's number.

"Don't worry about it, I got you covered," She answered before I could start.

"You're habit of knowing me so well is creepy but really efficient."

"I'll bring the outfit to school tomorrow," She said.

"Thank you," I said then hung up.

Thoughts of how perfect this was going to be kept me occupied until I was done my homework and well on my way to sleep.

-x-

Tuesday dragged by. I swear I looked at the clock every ten seconds. I was distracted and desperate for the day to end.

When it finally did I almost peed from relief. I drove Hazel and Sydney home as fast as I could so I had extra time to get ready. The outfit Sydney picked out and lent to me way absolutely perfect, as always.

I jumped into the shower, scrubbing myself with French vanilla body wash. I got out and towel dried my hair, adding a little product so it would wave slightly. I applied only a little bit of makeup, not wanting to be a cake face.

I pulled on the outfit and added some jewelry, then realized I had 20 minutes to spare. I paced around my room nervously hoping that I looked okay. I didn't know where he was taking me so I was going to feel severely underdressed if he took me somewhere fancy.

I went downstairs after getting bored of walking back and forth.

"So what's this boy's name?" Mom asked.

"Alex,"

"Last name?" She asked, eying my outfit with an almost disgust.

"Gaskarth?" I raised an eyebrow. Why was that important?

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the doorbell rang and my heart rate picked up. I answered the door to see Alex standing on my doorstep looking nervous. He smiled.

"Yes! I got the right place," He chuckled. I let him in as my parents came to the door.

"Hey, I'm Alex, nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Parker," Alex smiled, offering a hand to my dad. He shook it firmly.

"Pleasure," Mom nodded.

"What do you plan on doing tonight?" Dad asked.

"Dinner and a movie," I answered before Alex, hoping he'd go along.

"I'll have her home by 10," Alex said.

"Good."

I almost pushed Alex out of the door to get away from my parents.

"I really hope you weren't expecting dinner and a movie," Alex said once we were in his car.

"No, I wasn't but they wouldn't have accepted any other answer. They don't know what fun is." I sighed. "What are we doing?"

"It's a surprise." He grinned.

-x-

http:/www(dot)/cgi/set?id=22362928


	10. Chapter 10

We got to our destination just as the sun started to set. He had brought me to a small lake with a perfect view of the sunset. Silently he got out of the car and opened the back door and pulled out a picnic basket. How did I miss that?

He took me by the hand and led me to the grassy part right before the sand started. He laid down a white and blue checkered blanket and we sat. I sat there smiling as he unpacked the meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries.

"I hope you don't mind the simplicity," He said, looking at my shyly.

"It's so perfect," I said. He handed me a sandwich.

"I can't cook to save my life," He confessed and laughed.

"Hmm, well maybe one day I'll show you how." I offered.

"You know how to cook?" He raised an eyebrow and I nodded. "Can you marry me right now?"

I laughed, "Only if you whisk me away to a faraway kingdom."

"I think that can be arranged," He said.

We continued to eat and talk, learning about what makes each other tick. He talked about his brother's alcohol addiction and I talked about my parent's controlling-ness. He told me about Rian, Jack and Zack and I told him about Hazel, Sydney and Amber. I brought up Jessica and he made his distaste for Katelyn clear.

"She told everyone we were dating, without even telling me," He told me. "I don't get why she'd do that?"

"Would you have dated her if she would have just asked?"

He shook his head, "God no. I don't even know why I let her hang around for so long, other than the fact that she's a complete leech."

"How'd you get her to lay off?" I asked.

"Told her I had a girlfriend already," He chuckled, looking away. "I may have lied, slightly."

"Did you name any names?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"No."

"Then she'll never know unless she stalks you."

"I can see that happening," He laughed.

We finished eating and he packed everything away except the blanket. By this time the sun had reached the horizon. He stretched out across the blanket and motioned for me to join him. I slowly laid down next to him and he put his arm around me and pulled me closer. I put my head on his chest and we watched the sunset the rest of the way while I listened to the stead beat of his heart.

Everything was so perfect. I never wanted this night to end.

When the sun was completely gone, he sat up.

"Now for phase two," He said.

I looked at him confused as he walked down to the water and pulled off his shirt.

"Come on," He called me over. I slowly walked over to him.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You can swim right?"

"Yes but—"

"Just go with it okay?" He said, looking at me with those persuasive eyes and I nodded, taking my shoes off.

"Ladies first," He gestured to the water and I laughed.

"No way, your idea, you go first."

"Let's make this fair," He said, scooping me up into his arms and running into the water. I screamed at the freezing temperature against my skin as we got deeper. He set me down when we got waist deep.

I was freezing but I had never felt more alive and aware of my body in my life. Every fibre of my being was on fire. He splashed water at me, causing me to squeal again and I retaliated.

This began a small war, both us ending up drenched.

"You did bring towels right?" I asked, shivering slightly.

"Of course, I had this all planned out. Don't worry."

And the strange thing was, I wasn't worried. Usually I'd be freaking out but with Alex I felt free of all the boundaries I had set. He came over to me and wrapped two extremely cold hands around me, pulling me closer to him. I heard his erratic heart beat and felt him shivering against me.

"Not such a smart idea now is it?" I laughed.

"I'm full of not so smart ideas," He chuckled.

"We need to try them all out." I said excitedly.

"What happened to that girl too afraid to do anything but what her parents said?" He asked.

"I don't know. She disappears when I'm with you. I feel like a whole other person when I'm with you, in the best way possible."

Instead of answering, he dipped his head and our lips connected.

I don't whether it was the fact that we were standing in freezing water or the fact that I was caught off guard but the second our lips met, everything tingled, even my toes that I thought I had lost feeling of. The butterflies were back and a series of fireworks and sparks went off behind my eyes.

He tasted like chocolate and strawberries.

I was almost disappointed when he pulled back. I didn't want that moment to end. He had a grin that was bigger than mine, if that was even possible.

"I think it's time to get out," He said, shivering and I agreed. We raced back to the shore, me loosing because my pants weighed me down.

He went to his car and pulled out four towels, handing me two. I immediately wrapped myself in them and tried to bring the warmth in my body back. Alex helped after drying off and putting his shirt back on by holding me against him while he perched on the hood of his car.

When I could finally feel my finger tips and legs again I pulled away and kissed him lightly. I grabbed my shoes and we got into the car and he turned the heat up full blast.

"Why didn't we do this in the first place?" He asked, chuckling.

"That would have made more sense, but whatever, you warming me up worked too," I smiled at him then looked at the time on the dash board. 12:03. "Fuck."

He looked at me confused and then followed my vision to the time. "Oh shit."

He put the car in drive, pulled a U turn and took off towards my house.

He pulled up outside my house at just after 12:30.

"I'm sorry you're late," He apologized.

I shrugged, not really caring. "Oh well. Tonight was beyond perfect anyway."

He smiled, "Really?"

I nodded, "It was one of the best dates I've ever been on."

"That makes me feel so much better," He laughed and leaned in to kiss me again.

Oh, what the hell? I'm already late, might as well get something out of it. I started to deepen the kiss when the outside light flicked on.

I sighed, "God damn she's impatient."

"Go, I don't want you getting in more trouble than you probably already are."

I kissed him on the cheek and got out of the car, jogging up the driveway and entering the house in my soggy state.

"Charlotte Marie Parker, where have you been?" She started. The way she said it made me think of the scene from Harry Potter when Ron got his howler from Mrs. Weasley. "Do you know what time it is?"

I kept my smart ass comment to myself and nodded, "I'm sorry."

"You are over two and a half hour late! I expect better from you! And you're dripping wet! What did you do?"

Thank you Captain Obvious. I know what time it is, so obviously I know how late I am.

"I will give you your punishment tomorrow after school. Bed, now," She commanded and I obeyed.

I couldn't keep myself from smiling about how perfect tonight had been though. I peeled off my wet clothing, pulling on clean, dry, flannel pyjamas and crawled into bed, not worrying about what my punishment was going to be. It's not like they knew how to properly punish me anyway.

-x-

I got to English the next morning just in time to be handed my letter from Alex. I seemed to have acquired a sneeze and stuffed up nose from the cold water but I didn't care.

I opened it, and read it. All it really said was how excited for the date he was.

_Dear Alex, _

_Guess who woke up with a cold this morning? This girl. I blame you. But it's okay. I'll live and it's an excuse to be really lazy. _

_Thank you so much for last night though. I didn't lie when I said it was the best date of my life. Mom didn't freak out too badly either. It wasn't anything I haven't heard before. I think she was more concerned that I dripped on the hardwood floor than anything. _

_I guess the only left to say is when is date number two? _

_From Charlie_

Signed, sealed and soon to be delivered. I took my seat and three pairs of eyes fell on me.

"What?" I asked.

"Uh, details!" Sydney said.

I smiled and told them every detail about the date.

"That really wasn't the smartest idea to go swimming in the middle of November," Hazel said, trying to rain on my parade.

I shrugged, "So I get a cold. It was worth it."

"If you say so," She shrugged. Sydney gave her a look but smiled at me.

"I'm glad you had fun. What do you think your mom is going to do though?"

I shrugged, "Take my phone away again. Or take my laptop this time. It's not like it's going to be over the edge harsh."

I spent the rest of the day in a state of happy bliss and occasional sneezes. Jennifer didn't even attack me once. It was an overall good day.

I drove home, ignoring the feeling telling me something bad was about to happen and entered the house. Mom and dad sat in the living room expectantly.

I automatically took a seat across from them.

"After your behaviour in the past couple of weeks, especially last night, coming home dripping wet and two hours late, we have decided your punishment." Mom started.

I nodded.

"You are grounded for the rest of the month," She stated.


	11. Chapter 11

Okay. Maybe they were getting better that this whole punishment thing.

"What?" My jaw dropped. It's not like it was that long, two weeks at max. Which meant only two weeks left of writing to Alex.

"You hear me," She said.

"But I—"

"I don't want to hear it Charlotte. You've been reckless and careless with your behaviour and it's going to stop now." She stated.

Reckless and careless? Does the bitch need a dictionary thrown at her head? How had I been anything close to that? I got angry at a guy for treating me like shit and was late. Ooh, that's pretty bad ass. I rolled my eyes and went upstairs.

Was it her underlying goal to make me hate her? Because it was working. Next she was going to limit the amount of oxygen I consumed in a day.

I took my anger out on my homework because I really had nothing better to do anyway. I ate dinner silently with them, ignoring their attempts to talk to me and invade my personal life. Mom even tried to ask me how the date went.

When I climbed into bed I was having deciding which was worse, being at home or being at school

-x-

Alex's POV

I was on the ultimate emotional high and it didn't seem like I was coming down any time soon. Absolutely nothing could ruin the good mood I had been in and Charlie's letter asking for another date made it even better. This girl had me wrapped around her finger.

"Dude, what's going on this weekend?" I asked Jack.

"Some cheerleader is throwing a party Friday." He answered. "Are we going?"

"Of course," I answered. "Do you even need to ask? Should I bring Charlie?"

"Why not?" He shrugged, "It'd be nice to meet her while not trying to sabotage my assignment."

_Dear Charlie, _

_I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Date number two will be this Friday. Some chick who isn't Katelyn is throwing a party and it's supposed to be a lot of fun. So what do you say? I know you've never been to a party but hey, there's a first for everything. _

_From Alex_

I was slightly annoyed that our letters had gone from lengthy to short and boring but I couldn't think of anything to say to bring up a decent conversation. It didn't really make a difference anyways since we were seeing each other now.

"So when are you going to ask her to be your girlfriend?" Jack asked. "Or has that already been established."

I laughed. Did he really think I got that far yet? I can barely think properly when she's within a 10 metre radius. What made him think I had time to ask her to be mine?

"No," I shook my head. "And I don't know. It's nerve racking just thinking about it."

"Aw," He cooed and laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "I'd like to see you fall head over heels for a girl and try to work up the nerve to ask her to be your girlfriend."

"Well, you could always do it through one of your letters," Rian jumped in.

I thought about it for a minute. "Nah, it's too long to wait for a response."

They both laughed, "Wow, you're impatient."

"Just do it when you feel the time is right," Rian said in a more serious tone.

"Thanks Rafiki," I chuckled. The only problem was I didn't know what the right time was.

-x-

Charlie's POV

"She grounded you?" Sydney yelled when I told her the next day.

I nodded and made an annoyed noise. I was still pissed about it.

"Whoa, mark this down in the history books," She said. "Your mom finally learned how to properly discipline her child. But why so long? It's not like you've ever really been in a lot of trouble before now."

I shrugged, "Who knows? I think she might have dug up a parenting book for dummies."

"Next time throw a teenagers for dummies book at her," She said.

I picked up Hazel and we drove to school. I struggled to stay awake during English, bummed that it was an off day for letters. I found myself wondering what Alex was doing and if he was thinking of me. I craved to kiss him again and just see him. He was like an addiction that was slowly taking over me.

He was the only thing on my mind for the rest of the day. It surprised me that I felt so strongly about him. There was a doubt in my mind about our relationship, or start of, any more. Our date was obviously a sign that he felt the same about me, maybe not as strongly but still. It was enough to keep me wondering what the next we were going to see each other was going to be like.

My boring day picked up slightly when I overheard Jennifer and Jessica talking.

"Yeah, he was a total freak, but there was this one chick there who was chill," Jennifer said. "She even invited me to a party on Friday."

"What's her name?"

"I don't remember, but she mentioned someone named Katelyn who was dating that Alex kid who Charlie got paired with."

What? How did Jennifer suddenly have connections at Centennial? I ignored the feeling that told me her being separated by two degrees from Katelyn and told myself it was fine. What was the worst that could happen?

Once I was at home I completely ignored my parents and praised the Lord that mom didn't take my phone as part of my grounding. I was annoyed with myself that I didn't get Alex's number yet. I reminded myself over and over to ask him for it in my letter tomorrow.

-x-

My bad mood melted away like hot butter when I walked into English and was handed my letter. It was short and to the point which made me miss our longer letters.

_Dear Alex,_

_Remember how I told you my parents didn't know how to punish me? I take that back. My mother decided to ground me until the end of the month. Sometimes I really wonder what goes through her head. Either way, I'll be going to that party with you tomorrow, even if it means sneaking out. _

_Also, you might want to stay alert. Apparently Jennifer has dug her way into being friends with people at your school, one of those people being close to Katelyn. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. Can you imagine how awful they'd be together? I fear for the first person they attack if they ever become friends. Make sure Jack keeps tormenting Jennifer too, her face while reading her letters is hilarious. _

_And lastly, what's your number? It'd be nice to talk more than once every other day. Better yet, text me instead. At least then you can give me details and I can harass you when I get bored. _

_From Charlie_

I was pleased that this letter wasn't as short. I wrote my number at the bottom of the page and handed it in. I sat back down and turned to Sydney.

"I need your help."

"With?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Sneaking out of my house."

She nodded knowingly and pulled out a piece of paper. We spent the rest of the class devising a plan on how to get me in and out of the house without getting caught.

"Basically as long as you're quick and quiet it should be no problem at all." She said handing me the plan as class ended.

-x-

Alex's POV

Friday morning in English I was bouncing up and down like I was on a jack hammer and I handed even read her letter yet. I prayed that she would say yes.

I had spent all last night thinking about her and if I should ask her to be my girlfriend. I had decided that it was still too early and I didn't want to scare her off. I was determined to make this work no matter what.

My heart sunk at the first line telling me she was grounded because of me. I kept reading and grinned that she was going to sneak out. I was way too selfish and needy to see her to even think of telling her it might be a bad idea. My grin got even bigger when I noticed her number written at the bottom of the page. I wasn't worried about Jennifer and Katelyn at all.

_Dear Charlie, _

_I'm not worried about Katelyn and Jennifer. Let them be friends. Maybe then they can focus on each other rather than us. _

_This party is supposed to be insane so I hope you're ready. But then again, you'll get this on Monday after the party so. Let's hope that everything works out and you don't get caught, my little rebel. _

_From Alex_

It was short again and I didn't like that but there wasn't anything to say. I saved her number in my phone and texted her immediately.

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>Hey there stranger

I handed in my letter and stared at my phone expectantly until the screen lit up.

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>I'm going to assume this is Alex. Hey! (: what's up?

Ops, maybe I should have said that but oh well.

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>Yeah, its Alex lol. Sitting in English, just finished my letter. What about you?

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>Considering throwing a brick at Jennifer's jugular to make her stop making noise. So, details about tonight?

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>it's going to be a huge party. Everyone from here will be there. I'll pick you up at 7?

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>Sounds like a plan. Park near the mouth of the alley down the street since I have to sneak out.

I continued to text her for the rest of the day while counting down the seconds until I picked her up. This was definitely going to be a crazy night.

-x-

Charlie's POV

The few hours between me getting home and Alex picking me up were going to be a showcase of my acting skills. Too bad I didn't have any. I needed to act nonchalant. I came up with an excuse about me having a huge project due to stay in my room all night.

I got home and exchanged small talk with mom, telling her about the project and then going up to my room. I showered this morning so I wouldn't have to just to avoid suspicion. I pulled the one armed black shirt Sydney lent me and tossed it on top of the white skinnies I had picked out.

I paced around my room to waste time then did my homework out of boredom. Finally mom called me down for dinner and I ate, not bothering to talk to them other to say that I'd probably go to bed early tonight. I went back upstairs and touched up my makeup and changed into my outfit.

I stood in front of the mirror, pleased with how it looked and grabbed the black high heel sandals I matched with the outfit and slipped them on.

My excitement was growing as the time for me to leave was getting closer. I paced some more to kill the last 10 minutes. Finally at 6:45 I grabbed my bag and locked my door.

Here goes nothing.

-x-

I'm sorry this chapter sucks! It's more of a filler for now. And I'm sorry I'm not updating very often. I promise to update more during the holidays (:


	12. Chapter 12

I threw open the window and tossed one leg over the ledge, feeling around for the bottom of the window sill. I paused when I heard footsteps outside my door.

"Charlie?" Mom asked, knocking slightly.

I jumped violently, almost falling out the window.

"Y-yeah?" I called back.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

I closed the window as quickly as I could and raced to the other side of my room.

"Yeah, just uh, hold on. I'm uh, changing," I stumbled over my words as I tossed my housecoat over my clothes and kicked off my heels. I took a deep breath and opened my door.

"Hi," I smiled.

"What were you doing?" She asked suspiciously.

"Changing?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to seem confused.

"Well then. I hope you're not too upset about being grounded and missing out on all the fun tonight." She said.

I shrugged, "I probably wouldn't have done anything anyways."

Now go away. Fuck. I'm so late now.

"Alright, well your father and I are going to bed early tonight so don't get too wild studying," She joked and I forced a laugh, waiting for her to leave.

I let out a long breath as I closed the door and tore off the house coat. I grabbed my bag again. Round two. I flicked off my light and opened the window again. I swung my leg over and inched over to swing my other leg over. I shimmied over to where the ladder casually lend against the wall of my house and climbed down it. Sometimes my dad's laziness to cleaning up came in handy.

I quickly jogged to the back of my yard in the dark and reached the fence. I stood on the bottom part and dropped my bag on the other side while I climbed over, landing nosily. I cringed and waited a few seconds to stand up. This was a lot harder in heels than I thought. I picked my bag up and started walking to the mouth of the alley.

I was breathing hard and my heart was pounding but I felt so alive it was mind blowing. My heart sped up even more when I saw Alex's car parked at the end of the alley.

I walked faster and opened up the car door. He jumped slightly and looked over at me.

"Wow, you actually did it." He grinned.

I laughed, "Of course I did. I would've been here sooner but mom almost caught me the first time."

"You're such a rebel," He joked and started to drive.

"So how have you been?" I asked.

"Great," He smiled and my heart skipped a beat. I wanted to kiss him but he was driving. "What about you?"

"I've have worse weeks," I said.

"Well let's hope tonight makes up for this week."

I turned on his radio and flipped to a station.

"Welcome to Nothing Personal Radio Show, we're going to start you off with some Blink 182. Here's All The Small Things."

We both grinned at each other and began to sing along. The station kept playing great songs that we both knew until Alex pulled up in front of a huge house.

"Who's throwing this party again?" I asked.

"I have no clue. I know she's a cheerleader though." He answered. "I know almost everyone here so don't worry."

We got out of his car and he took me by the hand, leading me to the door. Without knocking he opened it and we were hit by a thunder of loud music, yelling and laughter and a thick cloud smelling of booze and weed.

Unfamiliar faces all looked our way and smiled. Alex was approached by almost everyone. Apparently he was more popular than he let on.

"Alex, baby, how—" A chick with too much makeup and not enough clothing started but stopped when she saw me. "Who's that?"

"My girlfriend," Alex smiled, squeezing my hand. I took the hint to play along. "Charlie, this is Katelyn."

This was Katelyn? I was expecting tall, bleach blonde and big boobs. She had the giant ass boobs down but she was definitely not what I was expecting with shoulder length dirty blonde hair and a look that could kill.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled and stuck my hand out. She took it like it was dripping with acid and let go almost immediately.

"Have you seen Jack?" Alex asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"In the backyard," She mumbled then walked away.

Both Alex and I burst into laughter as I followed him out the backdoor. He paused to look around then headed over to the pool where Jack and someone else sat with beers on a patio table.

"Alex, you're here!" Jack announced. They did the guy handshake thing and Jack handed Alex a beer. He took a seat in an empty chair and pulled me onto his lap.

"I'm going to assume you're Charlie?" Jack said, looking at me curiously. "Alex won't shut up about you."

I blushed and Alex attempted to kick Jack.

"Yes, I am," I smiled. "You're Jack right? And you are…?"

I looked at the other boy sitting next to Jack.

"Rian," He answered.

"Oh! You're paired up with Hazel for the assignment!" I said excitedly.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"She's one of my best friends."

"Sweet," He grinned.

I nodded.

"You want something to drink?" Alex asked.

"Depends on what it is," I answered.

"Well, there's tequila, vodka, rum, rye, beer, whiskey and –" Jack started to list.

"Anything that's non-alcoholic?" I asked.

"I don't think so." He answered chuckling.

I looked down at Alex and he shrugged. "There's a first for everything, but I'm not going to pressure you."

I shrugged and took the bottle from Jack and took a small sip. It didn't taste like I expected it to. It was almost good. I wonder how many other firsts are going to happen tonight.

We sat around the table and talked about random things until I got bored of sitting and made Alex dance with me. I dragged him over to the group of people dancing by the pool. Some Dubstep song was playing with a beat decent enough to dance to.

I had never danced, or grinded, with a guy before so it was all new to me as Alex put his hand on my hips and pulled me closer to him. I couldn't tell if my erratic heartbeat was from the physical activity or him.

I spotted Katelyn across the yard, standing with two girls and all three of them were glaring at me. Katelyn said something and the other two giggled while looking at me. I couldn't care less what Katelyn had to say about me. I was the one dancing with Alex. I gave her a smug smirk before turning to face Alex.

"Are you having fun?" He asked.

I nodded, "It's not as dramatic as I've heard they are."

My feet started to hurt from my shoes so I dragged him back to the table and downed half the beer. A slight fuzziness grew in my head. Was I getting drunk? Jack brought another round for us and I didn't hesitate this time.

Everything was going so smoothly and perfect until I had to pee.

"Dude, where's the bathroom?" I asked.

Alex pointed towards the house, "Upstairs, first door on the left."

Apparently, he had been here before. I got up and started to head towards the house when Katelyn came up to me.

"Hey, Charlie, right?" She asked.

I nodded, "Yup. Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, actually you can. Stay the fuck away from Alex." She demanded.

Before I could stop myself I burst out laughing. Did she really have the audacity to say that?

"What are you laughing at?" She asked, looking offended.

"You!" I choked between giggles. "You actually think I'm going to listen to a jealous bitch like you?"

I swear it was the alcohol talking now.

"Excuse me?"

I rolled my eyes, "If you think I'm going to stay away from Alex, you're fucking crazy. It's not my fault he likes me better than you."

"He doesn't even like you!" She screeched.

"Wow, you are so far in denial it's pathetic." I shook my head.

She stomped her foot like she was a three year old having a temper tantrum and made a whiny noise. I was about to comment on her maturity when she took a step towards me and shoved me backwards.

I might not have had such a problem with this if it wasn't for the fact that I was standing near the edge of the pool. My scream was cut off as I hit the semi warm water. I slowly sunk to the bottom before pushing myself to the top. I gasped for air as my head popped out of the water. Everyone outside was now staring at me.

"What the fuck Katelyn?" Someone yelled.

"That was uncalled for."

"What the hell happened?" Alex demanded. I swam over to the edge and he pulled me out. A girl about my height and age handed me two towels. Alex turned to Katelyn.

"What is your problem?" He asked her.

She stood there stuttering, "I-I-I- it was an accident?"

"Give me a fucking break. I watched you push her. Why would you do that? Do you think pushing my girlfriend into a pool is going to make me want you? Just get over it Katelyn."

I stood there shaking as she turned and stalked off into the house where the party was still going on.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked me, pulling me into his warm arms.

I nodded, "J-j-just kinda cold, y-y-y'know."

"Want me to take you home?"

I was torn between wanting to be dry and wanting to be with Alex. But the fact that it was almost one in the morning according to the person who just shouted it from inside meant that I should probably go.

He took my hand again and we headed towards the open gate.

"Wait," I stopped him. He looked at me oddly as I took my heels off. My feet screamed in happiness that they were free from the pain. We walked back to his car and he turned on the heat, melting my cold body.

He drove with one hand on the steering wheel and hand my hand in the other, rubbing slow circles with his thumb.

"I am so fucking sorry Katelyn pushed you into the pool," He said, looking over at me with a worried expression. It was like he was afraid I was going to dump him because some psychotic bitch had a jealous fit.

I chuckled, "Its fine, really. It was just water. It's not like it was a cliff or anything. The rest of the night was amazing though."

"I'm glad it was," He smiled and my heart skipped several beats.

We drove in a comfortable silence the rest of the way to my house, well the alley.

"Thanks for the adventure," I said as I unbuckled my seat belt.

"Next time we'll go somewhere without people." He said.

"So there will be date number three?" I asked; hope swelling up in my chest.

"Of course, and I swear you won't get wet." He laughed.

I went to open the door but he grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me into a head spinning kiss. He pulled back after a few minutes, leaving me breathless.

"Good night," He smiled.

"Good night," I breathed then climbed out of the car after putting my shoes back on. I walked slowly up the alley, the cold wind making me shiver violently. I couldn't wait to get into my warm bed and dry clothes.

Climbing over the fence was a challenge considering my jeans were twice as tight from being drenched but I made it over. I walked on the edge of the yard to avoid the sensor light giving me away. I got to the side of the house and almost pissed myself when I realized the latter was gone.

Fuck. How the fuck am I going to get into the house now? There was no way I could pull it out of the garage quietly enough. I stood there panicking and contemplating my options until I gave up. The front door it was.

I took my shoes off again and rummaged through my bag to get to my house key. I peered through the front window to make sure everyone was asleep before sliding my key into the deadbolt. I turned it slowly so it wouldn't squeak and turned the knob just as slow. Now came the hard part.

I open the door just enough for my body to slip in and closed it. I held my breath as I crept through the living room and towards the stairs. If I get caught now there is no way I can save myself. I stepped lightly on each stair trying to avoid the creaking. Every time I made a noise I paused for ten seconds to make sure no one stirred.

I finally got up the stairs and past my parents room without waking them up. I let out a sigh of relief as I went to turn the knob on my door.

Fuck. It was locked. God fucking dammit. What to do. What to do. As quietly as I could I searched through my bag, hoping to find something to pick the lock with. I pulled out a toothpick from the restaurant I went to with James and almost cried in joy.

I peeled back the plastic and jammed it into the small hole in the door knob while turning it. My door opened and I grabbed my bag and entered my room, closing the door silently before flicking on the light.

I immediately pulled off the wet jeans and shirt that clung to my body and pulled on warm fuzzy pajamas. I then broke into a victory dance.

I did it. I just snuck out, went to a party, drank alcohol and spent the entire night with Alex. I felt accomplished. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth to get rid of the smell of beer on my breath and hide my wet clothes at the bottom of my hamper.

It was safe to say this night was 100% successful.

-x-

I am SO sorry this took so long again. I promise after Christmas updates will be more frequent.

And also, thank you for reading my stories and giving me such positive feedback! You guys are great (:

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	13. Chapter 13

Monday morning I skipped into English ready to read my letter from Alex. Mom and Dad didn't suspect a thing the next morning and I was still flying high from Alex's kiss and sneaking out.

"I want every detail," Sydney said. I had refused to tell her everything through text message and made her wait all weekend.

"After the letters," I promised.

I tore open the envelope and read the letter. I smiled at him calling me his little rebel. I really wish we were official but I'd leave that completely up to him.

_Dear Alex, _

_That party was insane, and I didn't get sick from being wet this time, but I did have to use the front door because the ladder I used was gone. Still, I didn't get caught. Friday night was probably one of the most exciting nights of my life. Thank you for it. _

_I honestly don't know what else to say. I was this letter to have more in it but there's nothing to say because I'm just so happy around you and I have nothing to complain about to you since I do that a lot. I really can't wait for our next date._

_From, Charlie_

Another disappointing letter but whatever. Writing letters seemed really useless now that we had each other's numbers. I put it in the envelope and handed it in. I sat back down to find a new text.

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>Dinner tonight? At my place. (:

I broke out into a giant grin, already plotting my escape.

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>Of course, what time should I be there?

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>Around 6, if you can get away that early.

That might be a problem.

"What's up with the dorky smile?" Sydney asked.

"Alex wants me to go to dinner at his place tonight at six, but I don't know if I can sneak out that early." I told her.

"You're sneaking out to see him now?" Hazel asked, looking almost horrified.

I nodded slowly. Why was she so against me being with Alex? "Is that a problem?" I raised an eyebrow.

We stared each other down until she gave up and shrugged and looked away.

Alright then, that was interesting.

"Do you think your mom would let you go if you told her we had an English assignment to work on? Its school related so." Sydney suggested.

Let's try. I pulled out my phone and dialed my mother's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom, I know I'm grounded and all, but Sydney and I have an English project we need to do and it's really important so can I go to her place later today to do it?" I asked hopefully.

She was silent for a minute while I panicked on the inside. "I don't see why not."

"Thank you," I breathed and hung up. I exploded on the inside with happiness. I turned to Sydney, "Thank you so much."

"What're best friends for? Plus, now you can come over early and I'll help you get ready." She grinned.

We high fived as the bell rang and I walked to chemistry with a very tense and silent Hazel. We sat down at our lab table and I looked at her. She made an effort not to acknowledge me as I studied her. Time to take the blunt approach.

"What do you have against Alex?" I asked her.

"Nothing." She stated.

"Bullshit, Hazel." I stared her down again until the air between us was tense so tense you could see it. Then suddenly it snapped and so did she.

"You wanna know what I have against him?" She started. "He's changing you and you don't see it. Since when do you sneak out and lie to your parents? That's not like you at all. What's next? Are you going to go get wasted and make out with him in the car of a car like a cheap hooker?"

That made my anger flare up, mainly because minus the making out, that did happen.

"I'm not apologizing for trying to have fun and live my life. I'm not sorry that I'm in love with Alex and I'm doing anything I can to make it work." I retorted. I shocked myself at the statement that just slipped from my mouth.

"Oh so now you're in love? Please, Charlie. Do you actually think that love is sneaking out and partying? You don't know what love is."

"And you do?" I snapped. "Don't tell me how I do or don't feel about him. It was one fucking party so get over it."

"One party quickly turns into one every weekend," She said.

"Stop trying to sound deep, profound or even slightly helpful. It's not working. And while you're at it, stop being such a judgemental bitch."

She looked at me, her hazel eyes reflecting hurt and I could see resentment growing, but it wasn't at me. My instincts told me it was Alex she was slowly starting to resent. It didn't make a difference to me who she hated because I wasn't going to let this feeling of freedom and happiness go, among all the other things Alex made me feel.

Our argument ended as the teacher walked into the room and I turned away from her. I focused on the lecture so I didn't have to think about anything else.

When the period ended, I packed my shit and left the room before hazel had a chance to pick up where we left off. I didn't want to hear it. Let her think what she wanted to.

I went to the cafeteria and plopped down in my usual spot, waiting for Amber or Sydney. I dropped my head onto the table and stared at the ground suddenly exhausted.

"Sup?" Sydney said, sitting down across from me, Hazel taking the seat next to her.

"Where's Amber?" I asked.

"She went to a dentist appointment," Syd answered, taking a huge bite out of the pizza she bought.

I nodded and fell silent, listening to Hazel and Sydney talk about nothing important.

I remained quiet for the rest of the day, not really knowing what was dragging my mood down. Being the good person that I am, I still drove Hazel home, but with an icy silence that hung in the car like icicles.

"What's up between you two?" Sydney asked once she was gone.

I told her about the fight as I drove to her house. I assumed that mom meant I could go there right after school.

"She'll come around eventually," She said. "Maybe the eight of us should all just hangout one day so she can see that Alex isn't the terrible person she thinks he is."

"I shouldn't even have to do that. She should trust me enough to not go for some random asshole." I sighed. "And now it sounds like she's my mother."

I pulled into the driveway and we went into her house and straight to her room.

The next two hours were spent trying on outfits, talking and eating Oreos. I finally settled on a pair of True Religion jeans and a baby blue tank top.

"Is dinner with his parents?" She asked as I touched up my makeup.

"I don't think so. He didn't mention anything." I answered.

"Are you going to walk from here or drive?"

Alex has texted me his address during last period and I had realized that it wasn't too far from Sydney's house. Or mine.

"I'll just walk. It gives me more time to be nervous," I laughed.

I checked the time, 5:34. I might as well leave now and be on time instead of late. I grabbed my phone and left my bag in her room. I went downstairs quietly and slipped out the backdoor without being detected by her parents. I walked down the back alley in the direction of Alex's house, wondering what he had in store for tonight other than dinner. I followed the street signs to his house, growing more nervous with every step closer.

I finally arrived right on time. I mean, just as I walked up to his door, the clock struck six. I felt really lame for being so punctual.

I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later it swung open and Alex stood in front of me in black skinnies and a white V-neck t-shirt complete with a black beanie. Hot was an understatement.

"Hey," He beamed, pulling me into the house and into a hug, planting a kiss on my forehead. His house smelt like spices and tomato sauce, giving me an idea of what was for dinner.

I followed him through the house to the kitchen.

"I thought you said you couldn't cook?" I chuckled taking a seat on one of the stools at the island in the middle of the kitchen while Alex went to the stove to stir a pot.

"I can't, so if this tastes terrible, we're ordering pizza, okay?" He said.

I laughed, "Deal. But I'm sure it'll taste fine." I looked around the kitchen, taking note of the emptiness. "Where are your parents?"

"They went out somewhere," He answered, grabbing plates from the cupboard.

"Do you want help?" I offered.

"No," He shook his head. "You're the guest."

I shrugged and remained in my seat, watching him put the finishing touches on the meal. There was something so adorable about the way he did everything so carefully and precise. He was just adorable in general. I moved from the island to the table when I noticed he was basically done.

Once he had two plates filled with spaghetti and two glasses filled with wine on the table with a vase of roses in the center, he dimmed the lights and took a seat.

"So what do you think?" He grinned, looking proud of himself.

"I think this is one of the most romantic and sweetest things someone has ever done for me," I told him, and even in the dim light I could see the blush that spread across his face.

I picked my fork up and tried a bite of the food. Much to my surprise, and probably his, it tasted great.

"Is it good?" He asked nervously.

"I think it's the best I've ever tasted," I said honestly.

"Don't lie to me," He said, trying some for himself. "I lied. This is great! But it's going to be one of those things I will never again be able to do."

We ate and talked. I told him about the scene in Chemistry with Hazel.

"Maybe I should meet her to show her how amazing I am?" He joked as we cleaned up the plates.

"Sydney said the same thing, more or less." I told him. "She'll probably refuse to but there's ways around that."

"Either way, she'll get over it eventually if she really wants what's best for you," He said.

"Are you implying that you're what's best for me?" I asked, raising my eyebrow and smirking.

He opened his mouth and stuttered slightly. We both jumped when the phone rang. He looked relived as he turned away and grabbed the phone. I tuned out his conversation while glancing around his house.

"Do you want a tour?" He asked, hanging up the phone.

"Sure, why not." I said. He took my hand, causing and explosion of butterflies in my stomach and pulled me around the house, showing me different rooms and areas. He led me upstairs, showing me his parents' room, the guest room and bathroom. Finally we stopped at the last door at the end of the hallway.

"Yeah, okay, so my room is kinda messy," He said as he opened the door.

I stepped into the room that strongly smelt like him. A queen sized bed sat in one corner with sheets, pillows and blankets in a messy pile. I had the urge to crawl into it and cuddle with him. A large dresser took up part of the wall across from me, spilling out clothes onto the floor. Band posters and pictures hung from all of the walls, covering up the plain white walls.

It may have been small but it seemed cozy and portrayed Alex well.

"It's not that messy," I said. "At least there's some space to walk."

"Only because I cleaned up slightly while planning tonight," He smiled and walked to his bed, spreading out then patted the spot next to him. "Don't be shy."

Instinctively I closed the door then walked over to him. Before I could assess how to lay down, he sat up, grabbed me by the hips and pulled me down onto him, making me rest my head against his chest while laying half on him.

"Your bed is really comfy," I told him.

"I know. It's most of the reason I'm always late for school," He chuckled.

I sighed happily. This is where I wanted to be forever. It was perfect. I rolled over onto my stomach so I was facing him and propped my head up on my arm while he played with my hair.

"You have beautiful eyes," He said and I felt myself blush.

I pushed myself forward enough to make our lips me for a few seconds and then pulled back. In one swift movement Alex had pulled himself out from underneath me and was now hovering over me. A few hairs escaping from his beanie fell into his eyes.

"That was a smooth move," I smiled. "How many times did you practise that one?"

"I had no idea I could even do that without falling off the bed," He admitted before lowering his lips down to mine.

He bit my lip and I let him explore my mouth with his tongue. There was no way this could get any better and there was nothing that could ruin this.

He pulled back again, "So I have a question for you."

"Yeah?" I nodded for him to go on.

"I was wondering and hoping that you'd maybe want to be my girlfriend?" He asked, looking all shy and cute.

"I would love to," I said and kissed him again.

_*buuuuuuuuuzzzzz*_

I ignored my cell phone in my pocket and continued to kiss Alex.

_*buuuuuuuuuzzzzz*_

_*buuuuuuuuuzzzzz*_

Oh for fuck sakes. I pulled away from Alex and pulled out my phone.

"What?" I answered, irritated.

"Your parents are kinda on their way to my house," Sydney said.

"What?" I almost screamed.

"Yeah, my parents invited your parents for a later dinner so yours are going to pick up dessert and are coming."

"Fuck. How long do I have?" I asked, sitting up and Alex shooting me a confused looked.

"Twenty minutes if that. I'll sneak out to the backyard to make it look like we were chilling out there. Text me when you're close and hurry." She said then hung up.

"What's going on?" Alex asked as I got up and started for the door.

"My parents are on their way to Sydney's where I'm supposed to be because I'm still grounded." I explained while going downstairs.

"My little rebel," He smiled but became serious again, "Do you want me to walk with you since its dark?"

"That'd be great," I smiled and pulled on my shoes. He grabbed his keys and we left, walking at a brisk pace hand in hand.

I texted Sydney once we reached the mouth of the alley leading to her house. I saw a light come on as we got closer. Once we were outside her gate, Alex pulled me into a hug and leaned down to kiss me when the gate swung open and Sydney appeared.

"Oh am I interrupting? My bad," She giggled.

"I'm going to assume this is Sydney," Alex said.

"Yup, that's me. And no to be rude, but I kinda need by best friend back now." She said.

Alex kissed me on the cheek, "Bye love."

I stepped inside the gate as he turned and walked back down the alley.

"Please tell me you're official." She said.

"We are," I grinned and her jaw dropped.

"I was just kidding but that's great! Now let's go inside."

-x-

Whoops, lame ending. I'm really sorry again that this took so long. I hope everyone had a great Christmas though. I should be updating more frequently now (:


	14. Chapter 14

"What were you going outside?" My mother demanded as we entered the house.

"Getting some fresh air," I lied, more smoothly than I expected. "Syd's room got really hot and we couldn't concentrate."

She nodded, believing my quick lie and we proceeded with dinner that I picked at since I had already ate. Of course, no one knew that so I had to lie again and say my stomach hurt and I didn't feel well.

I was actually having a really hard time containing myself. I was officially Alex's girlfriend. He was mine. All mine. And I couldn't have been any happier.

I did my best to keep the smile off my face and act sick for the right of the night though. The second I was safe in my room when we got back, my smile broke through and I spun in a circle and fell into my bed. This was one of the best nights of my life.

-x-

Alex' POV

I didn't think I could have been any happier than I was right now. Everything was falling into place perfectly and nothing could ruin it.

It had taken a lot of courage and self-preparation to ask Charlie to be mine, but it was totally worth it. The way her grey eyes lit up gave me butterflies. I had never felt like this about a girl before. It was scary and exciting at the same time. The small voice in the back of my mind was telling me she was the one. That she wasn't going to break my heart or leave me. It gave me an odd sense of comfort more than it scared me.

I was already trying to plan the next time I could see Charlie as I walked into English on Tuesday. I got my letter and read it.

_Dear Charlie, _

_Does it surprise you I'm already planning our next date? What's your favorite place in the city? I'll take you anywhere you want to go. _

_I just realized that this project ends next week. It amazes me that in less than I month, I've fallen harder for you than I ever had. I want to make this work so badly. _

_I can't wait until we see each other again_

_From Alex_

I shook the strange impulse to write love instead of from and handed it in. Moments after sitting down, I pulled out my phone and texted her, satisfying the need to talk to her.

I figured that Friday would be the best day for our date, which meant 4 long days without seeing her

-x-

Charlie's POV

Tuesday flew by faster than it should have. Hazel was still pissed off at me so she didn't talk to me all day. I was bummed out but didn't let it get to me. I was also informed that my Chemistry mark had dropped from the low nineties to 79. If mom found out she was going to kill me.

The rebel part of me, or whatever you want to call it, started to take over and just pushed it to the back of my mind, telling me to deal with it later. I shrugged it off and went on with my day like nothing happened.

-x-

By Wednesday morning I had completely forgotten about my mark as I skipped into English and was handed my letter that made me feel all fluttery inside.

_Dear Alex,_

_My favorite place is where ever you are. I sound completely cliché and sappy, but it's true. I'll go anywhere you want to take me and I know everything will be perfect because you're there. But just to answer your question to make things easier, I actually really like swimming. That didn't really answer it but it's enough to work with, isn't it?_

_I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the exact same way as you do. It's good to know that these feelings aren't just one sided and I don't have to fear that you don't feel the same way. I can't wait to see you Friday._

_Xoxo, Charlie_

I chuckled at my sappiness and lame signature and handed it in. I sat back down and turned to Sydney.

"We need to go bikini shopping," I stated, making Amber turn around in confusion and Hazel roll her eyes.

"Dude, it's November," Amber said.

"I know."

"Then why do you need a bikini," Syd asked.

"Alex and I are doing swimming." I explained then added, "There are such things as indoor pools y'know."

"I might have forgotten those existed," Amber laughed. It was understandable seeing as we lived in an area where most people had their own pools.

"So you down?" I asked.

"Yeah man," Sydney nodded, "Tomorrow after school?"

"Sounds good," Amber nodded.

"Are you going to come?" Sydney turned to Hazel.

Hazel sent me a cold look, "I'm busy."

I held the urge to cough out bullshit because it was, and shrugged. I would probably have to talk to her eventually, but I filed it away for another day.

It was during last period when it hit me that I was still grounded. Fuck.

I spent the drive home from dropping Sydney off trying to think of a lie to get me out of the house.

"How is the project coming along?" Mom asked as I walked in.

I silently thanked whatever greater force was out there for handing me my next lie.

"It's going good," I said, "but we didn't get to finish it completely so do you think I could go back over there tomorrow?"

"Of course," she nodded. She was also apparently in a good mood but I didn't want to push my luck by lying about Friday either.

I tried to concentrate on homework but Alex had texted me and I was curious as to what he was planning for our date. I ended up giving up on my homework and falling asleep after a lengthy cute text from Alex.

-x-

Thursday, opposed to Tuesday, decided to drag by. I got yelled at by my Trig teacher because that mark had also slipped slightly too, but I shrugged it off. When the final bell rang I almost ran out of History and to my locker where everyone was meeting.

Somehow, much to my dismay, Sydney had convinced Hazel to come with us. We decided to just go straight to the mall from school, but Hazel rode with Amber for obvious reasons.

"Looks like you're going to have to be the bigger person and talk to her first," Sydney said as I drove.

"Right now all it is is a battle of who can be more stubborn," I said.

"You and I both know you'll cave before she does."

That was probably true but I didn't agree out loud as I pulled into an empty parking space and Amber pulled in next to me. We all got out and headed towards the entrance.

-x-

Alex's POV

"Dude, I'm so fucking bored," Jack said, dropping the Xbox controller on the ground. "We've played this game so many times I could do it with my eyes closed."

I sighed, dropping mine next to his. "Well, mom just paid me so—"

"We should go buy the new COD game!" He finished my sentence and jumped up, dragging me along with him.

I grabbed my keys and we got into my car, driving the short distance from my house to the mall. Jack got out of the car before I had even turned it off and was running towards the entrance. I laughed and jogged to keep up with him. We pushed through the crowds of people, making our way to the game store.

Jack grabbed a copy off the shelf and walked back over to me grinning, high fiving me. I took it up to the till and paid for it.

"Fuck yeah, no more boredom," Jack said, turning to head back the way we came.

"Wait," I stopped him, "We might as well eat here too since I have no decent food."

"Good point," He nodded and we headed in the direction of the food court.

We separated, Jack going to get tacos while I had an internal debate between pizza and a corn dog. Pizza won in the end and I impatiently waited in line for it. Once I had paid, wincing at the fact that I might not have enough for tomorrow night, I took a seat across from Jack.

"So how are you and Charlie?" He asked.

"Great," I grinned. "We've got another date tomorrow night."

"Nice. I still can't get over the fact that Katelyn shoved her into the pool last weekend."

"Me either!" I said, my anger flaring up slightly at the thought of Katelyn doing that. "Got your eye on anyone yet?"

He shrugged carelessly. "No one at school is worthy," He joked.

We finished eating and left the food court. We made our way through the mall again, at a much slower pace this time. We were about to exit when a bubble of familiar laughter caught my attention. I turned around and peered into the store we were passing. Charlie stood with her back to me with the Sydney and two other girls laughing.

I pulled out my phone while Jack made an impatient noise.

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>I see you (:

I watched as she pulled her phone from her pocket and then look around confused. It was amusing to watch her look around the store. Finally she turned all the way around and saw me. Her eyes lit up and she broke into a smile as she started to walk towards me and throw her arms around me.

"What're you doing here?" She asked after kissing me lightly. Her friends approached us, one openly checked Jack out.

"Video games," Jack answered, holding up the bag I made him carry.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Trying to find something to wear for tomorrow," She smiled up at me and my heart skipped a few beats. I put my arm around her.

"Are you going to introduce us?" One of the girls with two toned hair asked.

"Oh yeah," Charlie giggled, "That's Sydney, but you already knew that, and that one is Amber," she pointed at the girl who initiated the introductions and then to the one who couldn't take her eyes off Jack, "And that's Hazel. This is Alex and Jack."

Sydney nodded to Jack and Amber waved and we all stood there and talked for a bit. Hazel and Jack had jumped into a conversation that no one seemed to want to interrupt. Sydney looked down at her phone and looked slightly alarmed.

"Dude, we better go just in case your mom decides to do another check in," She said to Charlie and she nodded.

"I can see her doing it too," She turned to me and kissed me again. "It was great seeing you. I can't wait for tomorrow."

I watched her and her friends walk away and looked over at Jack who had a huge grin.

"At least tell me you got her number," I said as we left the mall.

"Fuck!" He yelled. "I didn't even think to."

"Don't worry; I'm sure Charlie won't mind giving it to you." I chuckled.

-x-

"Okay, so Alex doesn't seem like that terrible of a person," Hazel said quietly as we walked to my car.

"Your sudden change of heart doesn't have anything to do with Jack, does it?" I raised an eyebrow, holding back a smiled.

"What makes you think that?" She asked.

"You didn't deny it, it's true," Sydney pointed out.

"Either way, I'm sorry for being a bitch," She said.

"It's fine," I nodded. "Do you want me to see if I can get his number?"

"That'd be fantastic." She grinned.

I nodded again and drove her and Sydney home. I half expected mom to question me when I got home but instead she handed me money for food and her and dad went out to some business thing. I actually finished my homework and even had time to quickly shower before falling asleep, wondering what tomorrow would be like.

-x-

I woke up with a strange feeling in my stomach, like something was going to go bad. I ignored it as I got ready for school and went to English. Alex's and my letters had turned into who could be sappier about each other and it made my heart want to do backflips. I was so glad I decided to jump into instead of hesitating like I usually would.

The odd feeling of dread was still there at lunch and wouldn't go away until after school when Alex texted me telling me he was going to pick me up at 5 and to bring swimming stuff. After that the feeling was replaced by determination to sneak out again.

I was slowly running out of excuses and couldn't think of one as I drove home. Again, whatever force was looking out for me handed me my scapegoat when mom told me her and dad were going out for dinner with some friends. She didn't tell me the name of the restaurant but what were the odds of Alex and I going to the same one if we went for dinner?

They left shortly after telling me which gave me enough time to get ready without rushing. I stripped out of my school clothes and replaced it with skinnies and a V-neck t-shirt with my new orange bikini underneath it. I packed a bag with towels, a hair brush and underwear.

I didn't bother touching up my hair or makeup considering I was about to go swimming. I started to pace again, a habit that I couldn't get out of now, until Alex texted me again.

I opened my window, making sure the ladder was there. I had purposely gotten something stuck in the drain pipe so Dad had to get the ladder and get it out and I knew he wasn't going to put it away any time soon.

I didn't bother locking my door this time as I threw one leg over the ledge, hoping that I'd be back in time.

-x-

Sorry this kinda sucks, it's more of a filler. Thanks for read all my stories and giving such great feedback. You guys are awesome (:


	15. Chapter 15

It was once I got to the ground that I realized I could've just used to the front door because no one was home. I felt slightly stupid as I opened the gate and walked down the alley to where Alex's car was parked.

"Well I fell stupid," I chuckled getting into his car and kissing him.

"What did you do?"

"Climbed out the window when I could've used the front door because my parents went out," I explained while he drove. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the car that smelt like Alex and oranges.

"Oh, well, its practice for when you need it," He said, "So, your friend Hazel, is she single?"

"It depends on if Jack's single," I answered.

"Then she is extremely single."

"I'll text her, his number then," I grinned, typing in the number that Alex recited to me by memory and sent it to Hazel.

I had the growing feeling that Hazel had only forgiven me so I could get her Jack's number. I repressed the urge to roll my eyes and her selfishness, but I didn't expect much less from her.

Ten minutes later Alex pulled into the parking lot of a swimming center and my excitement grew with my nervousness. Before I even had the chance to undo my seatbelt, Alex had jumped out of the car and opened my door for me just in time.

"Aw, you're such a gentleman," I smiled as he took my hand and we walked into the building. The smell of chlorine filled my nose. Alex paid and we headed towards the change rooms and I suddenly got really nervous of being in front of Alex in nothing but a bikini. I wasn't ashamed of my body or anything; it was just the first time a guy had seen me in anything less than shorts and a tank top.

I pulled my shirt and jeans off, shoving them into a locker with my bag. I wrapped a towel around my body and the key around my ankle before heading out to the pool area. It was too busy, but there was still a fair amount of people. I sat down and waited for Alex to come out because apparently, I had beaten him which surprised me.

Finally Alex emerged from the guys change room in nothing but swim shorts. I couldn't help but to stare. He may not have been the most built guy ever, but his body was still amazing, especially his hip bones.

"You ready to get wet?" He grinned, walking over to me.

"I can't help but to notice I've somehow gotten wet on every date but one," I pointed out as I stood up.

He laughed, "Hey, the first time was willingly. And shouldn't you be getting rid of that towel?"

I nodded slightly and walked over to the rack. I took a breath and took it off, hanging it up. I turned back around to start to walk back over to Alex who just stared at me. It wasn't one of those creepy perverted stares that made me feel uncomfortable; it looked more like he was in awe.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" He said to me.

My only response was to blush madly and grin like an idiot. We walked over to the edge of the deep end of the pool.

"Jump on three?" He asked. I nodded, planning on not doing it just for a laugh.

"One, two, three," He counted. Before I could take a step back he scooped me up into his arms and jumped in, letting go of my when we hit the water.

We both came up at the same time.

"Well that was rude!" I said, faking a pout.

"Not as rude as leaving me to jump in alone," He shot back with a smile.

"Pfft, who said I was going to do that?"

"Please, I know you better than that," He said.

And that's exactly why I loved him. He knew me. He took the time to actually get to know me and liked me for who I was, not who my parents were or my body like so many other guys had tried.

We swam over to the edge and climbed out of the water, the slight breeze in the air making Goosebumps shoot up my arms and back.

"Now what?" He asked, shaking his hair out. I watched a few water droplets trail down his stomach, disappearing at his shorts before looking around and spotting a huge slide.

"Oooh!" I pointed to it and started walking to it. Alex followed me to the other side of the pool and up the lengthy stair case.

We were both almost out of breath by the time we reached the top.

"They seriously need to consider elevators or escalators," Alex said. I laughed and peered over the edge, immediately regretting it when my head started to spin and I gripped the bars in front of me harder.

"I think it's safe to assume you're scared of heights?" Alex asked, putting an arm around me, making me relax slightly. I nodded and he pulled me a step back so I couldn't see the ground. "Then how do you get out of your window?"

"Pure determination to see you," I answered honestly. "And it's not that high."

He opened his mouth to say something but the light turned green, signaling for us to go so I sat down with him behind me and he pushed us forwards.

My fears were forgotten as we slide down the slide, laughing. We climbed out of the smaller pool that the slide led into and went back into the main pool. Alex walked slightly in front of me as we walked deeper into the water. Once we were waist deep, I jumped onto his back and wrapped my legs around him.

"Onwards, my noble steed," I said.

He chuckled and went deeper while I clung to him. He travelled over to an area with very few people and somehow managed to maneuver me so I was now in front of him.

"So are you having fun?" He asked.

"Yes," I answered smiling at him. I let go of his neck and lend back into the water, getting my hair wet so it wouldn't dry to make me look like a rat. I put my arms around his neck again and played with his wet hair while he wrapped his arms around me.

I stared into his dark eyes until I couldn't stand it anymore and closed the gap between our lips. Usually I'd object to PDAs but I couldn't care less about the people around us. All that mattered was Alex and how much I loved him.

Was it too soon to be in love? Probably, but was that going to stop me? Of course not. I seemed to have a thing for doing things I'm not supposed to.

Our innocent kiss rapidly turned into a small make out session. The butterflies wouldn't stop but I blamed the Goosebumps on the chill in the air. We broke apart and smiled at each other.

The next few hours were spent on the slide, in the dive tank doing fancy flips and making out. Finally at nine we decided to go so I'd get home at a decent time.

We separated into the change rooms again. I took the time to wash my hair and body so that the heavy scent of chlorine wouldn't be noticeable. Getting dressed was more difficult than I had expected. Tight jeans and damp legs don't work very well. I sprayed myself down with vanilla body spray and ran a brush through my hair before wiping away any remains of smudged makeup.

I exited the change room, realizing I had beat Alex again. Damn, he must be taking his time. Conveniently, there was a bench close by and I sat down because I was a lazy kid and set my bag down at my feet. I peered around the nearly empty lobby until a voice brought my attention back to the person standing in front of me. Too bad it wasn't Alex like I had expected.

"Hey, babe," A tall, dark haired guy grinned down at me.

I raised an eyebrow, "Uh, hi."

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing sitting all alone?"

"Just waiting for—"

"It doesn't matter. You look like you're looking for some fun, so why don't you come with me and I show you a good time?" He cut me off.

I laughed, "Yeah, you see here's the thing, I have a boyfriend."

"That can easily be changed."

I laughed again, much to his annoyance, "No, actually, it can't be. Oh, look, here he comes now."

We both looked over to where Alex was coming out of the change room. The guy looked skeptical until Alex got closer and he realized Alex was taller than him.

"Can I help you, bro?" Alex asked as I stood up and took his hand.

"Uh, no, I was just leaving," The guys said and walked away quickly.

"What was that all about?" Alex asked as we walked out of the building and to his car.

"Some creep trying to convince me to go home with him," I explained. "I was actually kinda worried about what he was going to do if you didn't come out when you did."

Alex took my hand with his free one, "I would have kicked his ass if he had touched you."

His words automatically comforted me and I knew that he actually would have if the guy showed any threat.

The rest of the drive was comfortably quiet as Alex rubbed a circular pattern on my hand with his thumb. He pulled into the alley and I sighed, not wanting to leave him.

"I can't wait until your grounding is over next week," Alex said.

"Me either, then I'll be free to see you any time." I sighed and kissed him.

After a lengthy kiss goodbye, I stepped out of his car and started down the alley. The first thing I noticed was the lights were on in the kitchen. I made a mental note to be extra quiet as I slipped through the gate. I almost pissed myself when I realized Dad had put the ladder back.

Fuck. Now it came down to the choice of the front door or back door. Since the kitchen lights were on, I assumed they were in the kitchen. I ducked down and walked past the living room window and onto the doorstep. I pulled my key out and slid it into the deadbolt to find it was already unlocked.

I held my breath as a feeling of déjà vu washed over me and I opened the door. I peeked in to see no one sitting in the living room. Okay, now to just make it to the staircase without—

"Oh, Charlotte, you're finally home," Mom stated just as I got to the base of the stairs. I froze and my heart stopped. "Care to share where you've been?"

Fuck, I'm so busted. Wait, maybe I can wiggle out of this one.

"I was uh—" I started.

"Don't even think about lying because Caroline's daughter was there and saw you with that boy," Mom said.

"Who's Caroline's daughter?" I asked. "Better yet, who's Caroline?"

"A co-worker and her daughter is Katelyn," Mom said annoyed, "And that's not the point, the point is that you purposely disobeyed me and went against your grounding."

My heart stopped at the mention of Katelyn's name. It couldn't be the same Katelyn, could it? One of us would've noticed. I racked my brain until my phone beeped in my pocket. I pulled it out and opened the picture message I had received. It was a picture of Alex and I kissing in the pool, taken from the observing deck above the pools from the weight room. Underneath the picture was a caption.

"Totally busted. Does mommy know where you are and who you're with? I guess she'll find out ;) xoxo – Katelyn"

My anger spiked up. What a conniving little bitch.

"Are you even listening to me Charlotte?" Mom demanded, bringing my attention back to her. "I am thoroughly disappointed in you. Ever since you met this boy you've been reckless and careless."

"It's not Alex's fault!" I argued. "Katelyn's the one who sold me out!"

"Honestly Charlotte, Katelyn's the sweetest girl I've ever met. All she was trying to do was the right thing."

"Bullshit!" I yelled before I could censor myself.

Mom's jaw dropped, "How dare you use such foul language in my house."

"Oh please, like you've never said shit mom," I rolled my eyes.

"You can consider yourself grounded for another month young lady," She stated. I rolled my eyes again and went to go to my room. "And," she continued, "I want your phone."

I sighed dramatically as I locked my phone and handed it to her, "There, anything else?"

Dad walked into the room with a disappointed look on his face. "I just got off the phone with your Chemistry teacher. Apparently your mark has dropped drastically."

Mom glared at me for a minute. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head while she came up with a suitable punishment.

"Okay, that's it." She said.

"What now?" I asked, not holding back the irritation I felt.

"I have no choice to do this," She went on then paused again.

"Oh my God, do what?" I demanded, my annoyance hitting the top.

"You're forbidden to see Alex from now on."


	16. Chapter 16

My heart stopped and my jaw dropped.

"W-w-what?" I stuttered out, my attitude dropping to the ground.

"You heard me," Mom said. "You are no longer allowed to see Alex."

It felt like my entire world had just come crashing down on me. She could take away my phone, my car, my freedom but she couldn't take away Alex.

"And we are going to put a lock on the outside of your window so there's no more of this sneaking out business," Dad added. I glared at both of them.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"You need to get back on track," Mom said simply. "I'm tired of this reckless behavior and it's going to stop."

There she goes with that reckless behavior thing again. She wants reckless? I'll fucking give her reckless. Without another word, I jumped down from the stair I was on and headed for the door. I yanked it open and was out of the house before either of them could react.

"Charlotte!" Mom yelled after me as I walked calmly down the driveway. "Get back in here, now!"

I flipped her off as I turned and headed down the street. I knew they weren't going to pursue me because they thought I was going to actually listen to them. It surprised me when I heard the garage door open and saw dad's car pulling out.

I broke into a run, trying to think of a place to go. I turned the corner and headed down the alley, slowing down.

I can't go to Sydney's, that would be to obvious. So would Amber's and Hazel would turn me into my parents. Alex's was the only safe place to go.

The flash of headlights startled me and I picked up pace again and turned down another alley. I sprinted down allies and the dark parts of the streets until I was sure my dad had lost me. The only problem was I was lost in general. I made my way to a corner and found myself on an unfamiliar street.

Great. I don't know where I am and I have no cell phone or jacket and it was becoming increasingly cold. I decided that going the way I came was a bad idea and just followed the street I was on. I had no clue what time it was and I was going to freeze to death if I didn't find something familiar soon.

I was incredibly annoyed with myself for not thinking but the anger towards my mother banning me from Alex won over most of my emotions.

I walked two blocks and checked the street signs again. I almost peed in relief when I realized I knew where I was and how to get to Alex's from here. Too bad it was a good 40 minute walk. I braced myself against the cold and headed in the right direction, relaxing slightly.

It wasn't until I was almost half way there that I realized there was someone behind me. I shrugged it off as just someone heading in the same direction, but a creepy feeling washed over me. After not listening to the strange feeling earlier and then this whole scene happened, I thought that maybe listening to my gut instinct might work this time.

I push myself to walk faster, my legs numb from the cold. I turned the corner, watching the shadows out of the corner of my eye and almost cried when I saw the person turn and pause, almost like they were looking for someone, and then continue to follow me after spotting me. I doubted whoever this was, wasn't going to be as easy to get rid of as the creep from the pool.

My mind began to spin. Okay, so I have six blocks until Alex's, four long ones and two shorter ones. I doubted I could run the whole way without having to stop, but maybe I could run the last three. I considered slipping into an alley but everything in my mind told me that was a really bad idea.

I tried to keep my breathing steady as I kept my brisk pace. I casually looked around to see if I was still being followed. I saw the same shadow that had been behind me. My heart sped faster than the Roadrunner from Coyote in the Bugs Bunny and Tweety show.

Maybe adrenaline would kick in. I noticed that the person was getting increasingly closer. Fuck this. I broke into a sprint, my legs not being able to carry me fast enough. The first two blocks went by fast, with my stalker still having no problem keeping up. I pushed myself to go faster but I could feel my muscles locking and my energy draining. I started to wonder why they didn't just over take me now.

Somehow I kept going, the longest three blocks down. I was almost starting to think I'd make it when my knees suddenly buckled and I almost fell. I regained balance but couldn't keep running. I could barely breathe. I almost screamed when I saw the person getting closer and closer.

I had basically accepted my fate and the only thing I wanted was to tell Alex I loved him. I took a deep breath and turned around to see who was about to—

"Jack?" My heart stopped when I finally recognized who my follower was.

"Holy shit, you need to join track team or something at your school," He said while still trying to get his breathing under control.

"You asshole! You scared the shit out of me! Why are you following me?" I yelled at him. I didn't know whether or not to be angry or relieved.

"I was heading home from Rian's when I saw you wondering around, looking extremely lost. I thought it would be weird to just come up to you and ask why you're walking around alone at midnight."

"So you thought following me was a better choice?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I didn't realize what a terrible idea that was until you started running," He grinned.

My angry faded and instantly as it had come. He was just trying to help me.

I took a deep breath, "Next time just talk to me, okay? But thank you for trying to keep me safe. God knows I need enough help."

"Sounds good," He nodded. "I'm assuming you're going to Alex's? I'll walk with you."

"Thank you," I nodded and we started walking in the direction we had been going.

"So why are you going to Alex's this late?" He asked, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed, "Oh God no. It's a long story and Alex doesn't actually know I'm coming."

I dove into the story about sneaking out and my mother banning me from seeing him until we got to Alex's door.

"Well, his parents still aren't home, so you don't have to deal with any more of them tonight." Jack pointed out as he tried the door to find it was locked, and then knocked.

Alex promptly opened the door in nothing but sweats, and gave us a strange look, "Uh, hi?"

"I have brought you your girlfriend safe and sound. You can thank me now with food. Is that pizza pops I smell?" Jack said, pushing his way into the house and into the kitchen.

"Yeah, go ahead. Don't touch the three cheese ones or I'll cut your dick off with a wooden spoon." He threatened. Their brotherly tendencies made me smile slightly. Alex turned back and looked at me, letting me into the house. "What's wrong? You're freezing. Let me get you something warm to wear."

I took me by the hand and pulled me towards his room. He handed me sweats and a t-shirt. I didn't have the energy to walk to the bathroom, so I pulled my jeans and shirt off right there and slipped the warm, comfy clothes on. I pulled my still damp hair and main reason for me being so cold, into a pony tail with the elastic around my wrist.

"So, babe, what's wrong? You look so upset," Alex said once I was done, pulling me onto his bed with him and put his arms around me. I repeated the scene with my parents and getting lost to him.

"Can I use your phone?" I asked when I was done.

He handed me his phone without question and I dialed Sydney's number.

"Charlotte that better be you," She answered.

"It's me."

"Thank fucking Jesus Christ. Where are you? Actually, I know where you are. The better question is why did you decided to run out in the middle of the night?" She asked. I gave her a shorter explanation of what happened.

"Oh my God. Your mother is a bitch. She's telling everyone you just up and left. She didn't mention anything about a fight." Sydney told me and my anger spiked again.

"Are you kidding me?" I yelled. "I'm not going back there any time soon then."

"I don't expect you to." She agreed. "I'll tell my mom that I've talked to you, tell her what really happened and to send the message that you're safe but not ready to come back."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" I said, counting my lucky stars for having such an amazing best friend.

"Love ya too," She said then hung up. I handed back Alex's phone and lend into him, giving him the details that Sydney told me.

"Your mom needs to calm down and get laid," Alex said.

"I know," I sighed and the jolted up. "It is okay if I stay here right? If not, it's totally okay, I can stay with Syd. I—"

"Slow down there," He grinned, interrupting me. "It's totally fine if you stay here until things clear up. I wouldn't have it any other way. And my parents won't mind much either. They're used to Jack being around all the time anyway."

I sighed in relief, finally being able to relax completely. I felt like things were going to be okay. I had Alex and that's all that mattered right now. He kissed me and I responded automatically, running my hand down his side, making him giggle slightly.

"Oh, you're ticklish?" I grinned, repeating the motion.

He tried to hide his smile, "No. What makes you say that?"

I tried to do it again, but he moved and caught my hand, poking me in the rib cage making me laugh.

"Looks like I'm not the only one," He laughed and poked me over and over. I tried to fight back but he somehow managed to pick me up and flip me over, pinning me against the bed and tickling me. I couldn't breathe from laughing.

"Have you had enough?" He asked.

"No," I said, not wanting to give in.

He tickled me again, but brought his face closer to mine. "Are you sure?"

He ran his fingers down my sides slowly and I shook my head. He looked me dead in the eye as he continued to run his hands up and down my sides as I squirmed. "Positive?"

Our lips were inches from touching when the door flew open, "Hey Alex I—oh shit. Right. Girlfriend. Sorry. But uh, one of the pizza pops may or may not have exploded in the microwave."

I laughed and Alex let me go and sighed. "How is that even possible?"

"I didn't think it was, that's why I tried to." Jack said as Alex and I followed him down the hallway.

Alex opened the microwave to find a mess of cheese. "Jesus Christ, Jack." He laughed and rolled his eyes. "I should make you lick it up."

"I considered that but my hair," He stroked the mess of blonde and black hair that reminded me of a skunk.

"Are you hungry?" Alex asked while he cleaned up Jack's mess. I got the feeling that it happened often. My stomach grumbled and I realized that I hadn't eaten since before swimming.

"Yeah, actually," I nodded.

"I'll make you—" Jack started.

"Uh, no. You can go sit. I'll make food. I don't want anything else blown up." Alex chuckled. Jack took the empty stool next to me.

"Does cereal sound good?" Alex asked me, opening the pantry.

"Depends on what cereal," I answered.

"Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops."

It was official, I was in love.

"Froot Loops," I answered, grinning.

He poured three bowls of cereal and added milk, passing one to me and one to Jack.

"Dude, spoon?" Jack said.

"Not with you," Alex answered. I laughed as he handed us spoons too. Jack somehow managed to get his to stick to his nose until it fell into the bowl.

"I hope you get boogers in your cereal now," Alex said.

Their friendship reminded me a lot of mine and Sydney's and how great it was to have that person you could tease and joke around with but still have a serious conversation with.

"So what were you doing before we showed up?" I asked.

"Playing video games," Jack answered for him and Alex nodded.

"That's not surprising." I laughed.

"Do you want to learn?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged, "Why not?"

We put our bowls in the dishwasher once we were done and followed Alex into the living room where the game was paused on a huge flat screen TV. Alex tossed me a controller and I sat next to him on the couch while Jack took up the other one.

After an hour of swear and dying too many times to count, I finally got the hang of it.

"Dude, I swear you have the perfect girlfriend," Jack said to him.

"I know," Alex grinned and kiss my cheek.

"Have you been talking to Hazel?" I asked.

"No offence, but she's kind of a bitch," Jack said.

"I know," I agreed. "I don't know what's going on with her lately."

He shrugged, "Got any other single friends?"

"Jennifer's single at the moment," I joked laughing at the disturbed face he made.

"Dude, she was telling me about her Brazilian wax she got last week." He said, shuddering.

"EW," I made a face.

"I know!" He agreed.

Alex yawned, "Guys, it's almost four in the morning. I think we need to sleep. Jack needs his beauty sleep or he'll look like medusa in the morning."

"I could look like medusa and I'd still be better looking than you. Ha!" Jack shot back.

"I have a girlfriend. I win," Alex said smugly.

"So what about sleeping arrangements?" I interrupted before Jack could come up with a comeback.

"Simple. Jack gets the bathtub, and you sleep with me of course."

"Hey, I've woken up in a bathtub before. It's not that bad." Jack said. That wasn't very shocking.

I followed Alex and Jack up stairs, Jack branching off into the guest room. I felt slightly uneasy about sleeping in the same bed as Alex. I knew he wasn't going to do anything I didn't want him to, but it was just the fact that I never had been in the same bed as a guy before other than just sitting and talking.

I crawled into his bed, feeling safe against the wall as Alex followed suit. If it had been anyone else, I probably stay against the wall all night, but with him, I automatically moved closer as he put an arm around me.

He kissed me on the forehead before whispering, "Goodnight Charlie."

-x-

Ugh, I keep saying I'm going to update more but things keep getting in the way asdfghgfds. This was more of a filler because I ran out of ideas so just go with it. Thanks for reading (:


	17. Chapter 17

Saturday as a lot more relaxed and calm than I had anticipated. Sydney texted me and told me that her mom had confronted my mom about what really happened and she actually told the truth this time. Sydney had to admit that she knew where I was but refused to tell anyone, but assured them that I was safe and not living on the streets. The only question that was left unanswered was when was I going to go back home and face my parents?

I knew that there was no right time. They were just going to get angrier and angrier every day that I didn't go home, but when I woke up in Alex's arms feeling safe and happy, it didn't really matter much to me at that point. His mom was more than welcoming to me staying for a few days and didn't press for any answers after I told her I had gotten into a fight with my parents.

Alex and I had basically spent the day in bed after Jack had left, just talking and cuddling. The outside world didn't exist to us. We were in our own bubble, but the second he fell asleep that night, worry start to bite at me.

It started with a simple question. What am I going to do tomorrow? I had two options, either go home or stay at Alex's. I so desperately wanted to stay at Alex's and just pretend like Friday night after our date didn't happen at all, but the realist in me told me that it was a stupid idea. I couldn't really stay to begin with, I had no clean clothes and I went to a different school. Now that I knew Katelyn was connected to my parents, and Jennifer was connected to me, it was a dead give-away if I showed up at school in guys' clothing. Jennifer would snap the picture, send it to Katelyn who would confirm it and send it to my parents.

Going home didn't pose a better outcome either. I'd definitely have to sit through a long lecture of why I'm acting improper and how awful Alex was. I could handle repeatedly being reminded that I've been acting out of line but to listen to my parents talk about Alex like he was scum was something I wouldn't be able to sit through, which would start another fight.

And if I did leave, I had no idea when the next time I would see Alex would be. My phone was already gone. I don't doubt my internet connection would be next, then my car. I couldn't sneak away with Jennifer's watchful eye on me and Alex definitely couldn't come to the school. Sneaking out wasn't an option any more either.

I couldn't stay here forever though. Surely Isobel would end up asking why I haven't gone home, and I doubted she would condone me permanently staying here.

Both options ended in me not being able to see Alex, which was the worst thing of all. It could take weeks, even months for my parents to finally trust me again and even then, they probably wouldn't let me see him.

I was at a loss of what to do, so I pressed myself against Alex and tried to cherish the little time we had left together, promising myself I'd make a decision in the morning.

As it turns out, I didn't have to make the decision myself.

I woke up before Alex did, my internal clock not letting me sleep past 10 in the morning. I sat up and looked down at him. His dark messy hair fell into his eyes, and I repressed the urge to brush it back. He looked so peaceful and angelic, I could only guess what he was dreaming about, and secretly hoped it was me. He smiled slightly, a quiet giggle escaping his lips causing me to chuckle slightly at how adorable he was.

I don't know how long I waited for him to wake up, but by the time his eyes had fluttered open, his phone has vibrated on the side table at least four times consecutively.

"Good morning beautiful," He grinned as he rolled onto his back.

"Morning," I blushed. "Someone really wants to talk to you."

He raised an eyebrow while reaching over to pick up his phone. I watched him scroll through the messages, his expression changing from hazy and happy to worried.

"What?" I asked as the good mood I had built up sliding away.

He silently handed me the phone and I opened the messages.

To: Alex  
>From: Sydney<br>Dudes, we have a problem

To: Alex  
>From: Sydney<br>I mean A REALLY FUCKING BIG PROBLEM SO WAKE THE FUCK UP

To: Alex  
>From: Sydney<br>JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WAKE UP

To: Alex  
>From: Sydney<br>Fine, don't wake up, but don't complain to me when shit hits the fan

I raised an eyebrow and dialed her number.

"Thank the Lord!" She answered.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"Okay, so last night your mom called around looking for you, and she ended up calling Hazel's and Amber's along with my house too, right? So Hazel called here last night and asked where you were, so I told her because she's one of our closest friends and I thought we could trust her, but nope. She's a backstabbing bitch."

"What?" I asked, my eyes popping out of my head. Alex looked at me curiously. "How?"

"Remember how she went on and on about how Alex isn't good for you and all that shit, sounding freakishly close to your parents? Well, obviously we know who she's siding with because about ten minutes ago she called your parents and fucking told them where you were."

My heart and stomach hit the floor while my anger hit the roof.

"How could she?" I yelled into the phone, making Alex jump.

"I don't know. But it gets worse. Apparently your parents are on their way to his house as we speak."

As if fate didn't hate me as much as it already did, just as the words left her mouth, I heard a car door slam and heels clacking against the pavement towards the house.

"They're here," I said in dismay, hanging up and handing Alex back his phone.

"What's going on?" Alex asked as there was a knock at the door.

"Charlie, your mom's here," Isobel's muffled voice said.

"That's what's going on," I said to Alex before pushing myself off the bed.

"What's going to happen now?" He asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

I grabbed my clothes off the ground, and then looked up at him, "I don't know."

I turned around to leave when he jumped off the bed and grabbed my wrist, "I know neither of us know what's going to happen next, or when we're going to be able to see each other again, but I do know that no matter what your parents do or say, I will fight for you until the end, okay? I don't care if we go weeks without seeing each other, I will wait for you. I've waited too damn long for someone like you to walk into my life and you're not going to be taken away from me that easily."

He pulled me even closer to him and kissed me with more passion than I ever thought was possible. He pulled back and I left the room, not ready to face the wrath of my parents.

-x-

The car ride home was silent. Dead, icy cold silent. I sat in the back seat, glaring at the back of my mother's head, knowing that this was mainly her fault. Why couldn't she let me be happy? The only reason I snuck out was to see Alex because she grounded me for stupid reasons.

Once we got inside, the lecturing began.

"What were you thinking?" Mom asked me. Whether it was rhetorical or not, I didn't answer. "Do you know how stupid and foolish it was to run off in the middle of the night in winter? You could've gotten pneumonia or kidnapped."

"But I didn't," I couldn't help myself.

"That's not the point," Dad said. "The point is you left."

"For a good fucking reason," I stated, neither commenting on my "foul language."

"Really, and that reason was?" Mom raised an eyebrow.

"You're treating me like I'm a fucking six year old with no common sense. You make all my choices for me, leaving me no room to ever make a decision for myself. You force your way of life, your beliefs and your expectations on me without ever considering how I feel about it. You're lucky I didn't up and leave sooner."

"Where is this coming from?" Mom asked. "Ever since you met that boy—"

"Alex has nothing to do with this!" I screamed, jumping off the couch. "Stop blaming it on someone else. If Alex hadn't have walked into my life at that moment, you would find someone else to blame for my "reckless behaviour". When will you wake up and realize this is your fault? You've pushed me to become someone I don't want to be or have anything to do with to the point where I'm sick of it! You're the ones driving me to become a "rebel" because I'm tired of not being able to do anything! You're the reason I hate you. You have no one to blame but yourselves."

Neither of them had anything to say to my outburst and I didn't feel bad about telling them I hated them. Why feel bad for the truth? Mom opened her mouth to say something but I stormed out of the room before she could spit it out. I didn't want to hear it. Mom was probably going to go burry herself in another parent help book on delinquent teenagers to try to solve this one.

I slammed my door with more force than I thought I had and flopped down on my bed, but not before taking note of the freshly installed bars on the outside of my window. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Did they not realize we have more than one window?

I was racking my brain for a way to communicate with Alex. We only had a week left until this letters assignment was over, and then all ways of talking to him were cut off. There had to be a way to talk to him without someone interfering.

-x-

I spent the rest of the day and most of the next morning racking my mind, trying to find a solution. I picked up Sydney and explained to her the details of the argument between me and my parents.

"Isn't Hazel's house that way?" She asked, pointing down the street I purposely drove straight by.

"Yup," I nodded.

"She's going to be so pissed," Sydney grinned.

"I don't care. Serves her right," I stated as I drove to school, hoping Hazel didn't even bother to show up.

I took my seat in English, ready to tell Alex about the fight with my parents.

_Dear Alex, _

_It kills me that this is our only way of talking and it ends on Friday. I don't really know where my parents sit with this right now. I gave them an earful when they tried to pin my behaviour on you and basically told them I hated them. I haven't spoken to either one of them since. I'm hoping they get it through their heads, but I'm not going to hold my breath. _

_I will make this work though. Even if I have to emancipate myself and get a job and move out –whatever it take to be with you. I'm hoping it won't come down to that but with my parents, who knows. Either way, I'm about to go punch Hazel in the face now. _

_From Charlie_

I set my pen down, looking up to meet the glare Hazel sent me with one of my own.

"Did you forget something this morning?" She asked.

"Not that I can recall," I shrugged.

"I'm sorry; let me refresh your memory, bitch. You forgot me."

"Hey now," Mr. Davis stepped in, "At least wait until the last five minutes of class so I don't have to be involved."

Hazel plopped down into her desk, glaring at the wall. I counted down the seconds until the bell rang. I sprung from my desk to get out of the room first, Sydney following close by. Hazel finally caught up to us right outside the Chemistry lab.

"So what the fuck was that about?" She demanded.

"What was what about?" I asked innocently.

"Not picking me up? Do you know how pissed off my mom was?"

"Oh, probably not as pissed off as mine was when you fucking sold me out to her," I shot back.

"I was doing you a favor."

"And how is getting me grounded indefinitely and banned from seeing my boyfriend doing me a favor?"

"He isn't good for you," She stated.

I wanted to pull my hair out, "How! How is he not good for me! Please. Do tell me because last time I checked he was one of the best things that had ever happened to me. I thought we were past this. Stop being a hypocritical bitch!"

I didn't let her reply, instead I brushed past her into the room grinning.

-x-

Good news and bad news.

The bad news is I can promise you the ending to this story is going to suck because I don't know how to end it. The good news is I will probably be starting a new story soon. Although, I'm not sure what it's going to be about, but feel free to message me on tumblr, twitter or on here and suggest something. I will write about almost anything and I will definitely give you credit for any ideas. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Tumblr – wetdreamsonlylastforanight(.)tumblr(.)com

Twitter – twitter(.)com/squishyllamas


	18. Chapter 18

Wednesday morning I woke up feeling sick, but not sick enough to stay home. I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. I didn't bother with very much makeup or effort in my hair for a few reasons, which left me time to do some serious thinking.

When I left to go pick up Sydney, I knew today was going to be eventful. Out of the pure kindness of my heart, I even stopped at Hazel's and picked her up too for the first time this week. She didn't utter a single word to us as she got into the backseat, slamming the door. I almost regretted doing her the favour. We still hadn't made up because I simply didn't want to and I wasn't sure I was going to any time soon either.

I walked to English and took my seat just like every other day. I was anxious and my knees wouldn't stop shaking but I couldn't put a solid reason on why. I kept glancing at the clock and not paying attention to anything at all.

I sprung out of my desk when the bell rang and headed towards Chemistry, dreading having to sit anywhere near Hazel. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw a flash of dark hair under a familiar grey beanie.

"Charlie," Alex called out to me.

"Alex!" My face lit up as I half ran over to him and into his arm. He returned my embrace with a stiff hug. I immediately pulled back.

"What's wrong?" I asked, searching his face for a sign of something.

"We need to talk." He stated. My eyes almost popped out of my head.

"W-w-what? About what?" I stuttered nervously.

"Look, this" He started, pointing at me and them himself several times, "isn't working out."

"What?"

"Our relationship isn't working okay? Your parents are too strict and I can't be with someone I can't even see for weeks on end." He said harshly.

Tears blurred my eyes as people stopped in the hallway to watch the scene, Jennifer and her groupies among them.

"But I thought you said you were going to wait for me?" I said quietly.

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind," He said. "Don't bother calling me or texting or making this harder than it has to be."

"But Alex—"

"I don't want to hear it," He snapped before turning on his heel and walking away.

I let the tears fall freely from my eyes as I pushed through the crowd and into the bathroom. I should've just faked sick today. My cheeks burned from the embarrassment of being dumped in front of half the school and from crying. I would have rather been dumped by text message than like that.

I gathered myself, washing away the tear stains on my cheeks and fixing my makeup before trudging my way to class. Jennifer snickered and Hazel looked smug as I took my seat and opened my text book. I wanted to smash both their faces with it.

I spent the rest of the day being quiet and disconnected from everyone, not wanting to talk about what had happened.

After school the three of us got into my car and I drove Hazel home.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened today," She said before getting out, "And I don't mean to rub it in, but I kinda told you so."

"Hazel," Sydney answered for me, "Keep your goddamn smugness to yourself and have a little compassion."

Hazel rolled her eyes and threw the door open, slamming it once again. As she circled around the front of the car, I considered hitting her. It would make me feel a little bit better, but I decided I didn't need another reason to be grounded.

I drove Sydney home in silence. There wasn't much to say since she'd witnessed everything. On the way back to my place, I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do next.

I dragged my feet all the way up the driveway and porch and into the house.

"How was your day?" Mom asked me.

"You were right," I mumbled.

"About what?"

"Alex dumped me today."

"How'd he do that?"

"Showed up at school and humiliated me in front of everyone like a dick." I said, tears filling my eyes again.

"Aw, baby, I'm sorry." She said, even though she wasn't. "That's what happens when you get involved with boys like him. You get hurt."

I sniffled and nodded. I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for acting how I did."

Mom looked at me, surprise clearly written across her face.

"I should have known better than to sneak out and whatnot."

"I'm glad you're finally owning up to your mistakes," She nodded then head into the kitchen. I picked up my school bad that I had dropped and went up to my room.

Today was definitely on the top ten lists of worst days of my life. I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling until I was called down for dinner.

"So your father and I have been thinking," Mom started half way through the meal.

"About what?" I asked curiously.

"Letting you off your grounding early," She answered.

"Oh," My eyes widened. "Why?"

"We agree that you've learned your lesson finally."

I nodded once as she handed me back my cell phone. "Thanks."

I finished eating my dinner and went back upstairs. Once I closed the door behind me, I grinned, refraining from doing a victory dance.

Everything had gone according to plan.

-x-

Whoa, super short chapter. I'm sorry this sucks, and I can tell you that none of you guys will like the ending either. Sorry.


	19. Chapter 19

While basking in the happiness that all the planning and acting between me, Alex and Sydney had actually worked to get me ungrounded and free communication with Alex, it hit me that it really didn't solve anything.

Yeah, I may have had my phone back and could go out, but it would mean lying to my parents every time I went to go see Alex. I didn't mind lying to them, I mean, I've done it so many times in the past month it had become like a second nature. It was the fact that our options were slowly diminishing. We couldn't really go out anywhere public because if someone who didn't like us, or like us together –cough—Katelyn and Jessica—we'd be right back at square one. We were playing with fire and I seemed to have become a pyromaniac.

I sighed heavily and flopped back onto my bed, suddenly feeling exhausted. I slowly drifted into a light, fidgety sleep.

The next morning I almost dreaded going to English. It was the last day of our project for both classes. We were going to write our final letters and receive them tomorrow. I smiled, thinking of how the past month had been the most exciting dramatic month of my life, and I loved every second of it. I was so glad I had gotten Alex for this assignment. It surprised and excited me that in the span of a month, I had fallen so deeply in love with him and was willing to do whatever it took to be with him and I think it was time for him to know.

I took out a sheet of paper and a pen, letting the words I had wanted to tell him for a while now flow out.

_Dear Alex, _

_Wow, I can't believe this assignment is pretty much over. This has been one of the most eventful, dramatic, scary, eye opening and amazing months in my entire life and it's all thanks to you. You showed me that there's more to life than just living the way my parents want me to, and how to stand up for myself. You've showed me that partying isn't just a bunch of drunken teenagers making out and can actually be fun. The list goes on and on of things that you've made me realize. But the most important thing you've done is shown me how to love someone so much, you'd give up everything to see them happy. _

_I know it's only been a month, but what does time matter? I've spent so many years, calculating every move I make and missing so many amazing opportunities, I'm not going to let this one go to waste. _

_You are the one person in this world who gets me. You understand my incoherent thinking, my crave for adventure that you fuel, all of it. You're that one person who I can count on to be with me through the end. I trust you more than I trust anyone in the world, including my best friend. You're kind, funny, and have an amazing voice. There are so many things I love about you; it would take pages to get through them all. _

_No matter what the future brings, I swear we can make it through it. _

_Now that I've poured my heart and soul out to you on paper, I guess there's only one thing left to say._

_I love you. _

_Love, Charlie_

I folded the piece of paper, slipping it inside of the envelope for the last time and handed it in. Waiting to get Alex's letter tomorrow would be the longest wait of my life, and I was hoping it would be worth it.

Speaking of Alex, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the contacts, stopping at his name.

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>It worked! (: my parents ungrounded me and I got my phone back.

I slipped the phone into my shirt and packed my books up as the bell rang. I beat Hazel to Chemistry for once. That was a whole other problem itself; one that I wasn't too keen on fixing. I watched as she sauntered into the room and took her seat next to me.

"How's the break up going?" She asked casually.

"Like a break up," I stated, giving her half a glare.

"Too bad."

"Alright, that's it. I'm done."

"What?" She gave me a confused look.

"I'm sick of you and your attitude or whatever the fuck you want to call it. From this point on, we may run in the same social circle, but we are not friends anymore and you can find your own goddamn way to and from school."

I was surprised I actually had the guts to say that. A month ago there would've been no way in hell I'd tell Hazel off like that. I would have just taken her comments like always. She gave me a dirty look before grabbing her textbook and moving across the room. I shrugged it off, glad for the extra elbow space on the counter.

The rest of the day went smoothly while I ignored Hazel's existence. I wasn't a complete bitch to her when Amber and Sydney were around, but I wasn't very friendly either.

I was greeted by a hug and smile from my mom, something that I definitely wasn't used to. I guess she was still happy that Alex and I were "over". I rejoiced that fact that I had never once mentioned the letter assignment to her.

My phone beeped as I climbed the stairs to my room.

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>Sorry, mine was dead all day. I'm glad it worked out. I'm sorry for being so harsh about it though.

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>Don't worry about it, it was more convincible that way (:

To: Charlie  
>From: Alex<br>Alright, so when do I get to see you next?

To: Alex  
>From: Charlie<br>Tomorrow night? (:

I spent the rest of the night texting Alex and actually doing homework to bring my marks back up. It wasn't that difficult, rather I just didn't have as much motivation to do it anymore and plus, Trigonometry was so tedious.

Self-doubt kicked in the next morning on the way to school. I was suddenly really nervous to read Alex's letter. What if he didn't say those three words, or didn't feel that way at all? I had been so sure he did, but I could always be wrong.

"He'd be crazy not to be in love with you," Sydney tried, knowing something was up.

I just nodded as we entered the classroom. Like always, I tuned out Mr. Davis' babbling about how well the project had gone and that he was too lazy to read the summary of the other person we were supposed to write, so he just read our final letters. I snapped back to attention.

"You did?" I blurted out.

He studied me, smiling, "Yes, I did. And I'm pleased at how well some of you hit it off."

I felt the heat in my cheeks rise. Nothing like having your English teacher read the love letter you wrote to your boyfriend you met through a school assignment. Without another word he handed out the envelopes.

"Syd," I turned to her. "Open it for me and maybe even read it to me?"

"You're needy," She smiled, tearing open the envelope and scanning the letter, "Yeah, no. I'm not reading this to you."

She handed it back and I took a deep breath.

_Dear Charlie, _

_I really don't know how to start this letter. I could start by telling you how amazing you are, but amazing doesn't even cover it and that would take pages. I could start with all the wonderful things you've done for me because you've showed and taught me so many things that no one else ever could of. You were the first person I actually opened up to completely and told everything to, and you were the first person who didn't throw it back in my face. Instead, you helped me and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. _

_There are so many things I want to tell you, but words will never be enough to express that. The only words strong enough to describe how I feel about you, are three words I've never said to anyone else and meant them this much._

_I love you._

_I love you so much it's almost impossible. I want to stand on top of buildings and scream it so everyone knows it. I want to tell all my friends how happy and alive you make me feel, how invincible I am when I'm with you. You make me want to face my fears and do wild things. I've never felt like this before and it's the most exhilarating thing ever. _

_There is nothing I want more in the world that for you to be mine forever. _

_Love, Alex_

My jaw was on the ground and my heart was in the sky. I couldn't form words or thoughts or even breathe.

"Earth to Charlie," Sydney waved her hands as I stared at the paper. She yanked it out of my hand and read it fully as I came back down to earth. "So when's the wedding?"

I laughed and took the letter back, adding it to the pile of ones that I kept in my binder. They would be stored in a safe place once I got home. I suddenly dropped my smile when I realized I should still be acting like we were broken up. I glanced around, trying to see if anyone was watching. I let out a long breath after I was sure no one had seen.

The rest of the day flew by and I sped home to get ready to go to Alex's. We were going to have a night in and watch movies. I convinced mom that I was going to Sydney's for the night and left as soon as I could.

Alex greeted me with a long kiss at his door.

"I missed you," He said, letting me in.

"I missed you too," I returned, following him up to his room after saying hi to his mom.

"Was it hard convincing your mom we had broken up?" He asked, sprawling out across his bed with me on top of him.

"Nope, I just made it look like I had been crying and she bought it." I explained to him.

"You're a great actress," He told me.

"The funny thing is, before then, I had never acted in my life."

"Newly discovered talent? I can see you being an award winning actress." He smiled.

"At least one of us can," I chuckled. He got up and put a random movie on and then sat back down, pulling me closely to him.

We barely watched the movie, instead spent most of it making up for lost time. I felt so care free.

"So I read your letter," Alex said, turning off the movie as the credits started.

"And I read yours," I stated.

"I just want you to know that I meant every single word of it. I love you more than anything in this world and I want us to work so badly."

I heard that trailing but in his voice. "I love you too." I filled the silence, and then waited for him to continue.

"But I want to be able to love you in public."

I knew where this was going.

"But my parents…" I said, looking down, resentment burning through me for them not being able to accept my happiness with Alex.

"It's for the better." He said.

I knew he was right, but I didn't want to end up losing him because my parents were probably going to lock me in my room forever.

"I'll be right there with you," He went on. "Every step of the way, not matter what."

I didn't let myself think of all the things that could go wrong, instead I pressed my lips against his for a second, "When should we break the news?"

"Tomorrow."

-x-

Oooh, second last chapter. The next chapter will be the last. There might not be an epilogue, there might be. It depends. But thank you so much for reading my stories and loving them. If you haven't already you should check out my new one, Hide and Seek. It's different, but I'm hoping you'll like that one too.

Also, check out my band? It would mean a lot to me youtube(dot)com/artificialxromance Thanks (:


	20. Chapter 20

I was shaking as we pulled up outside of my house. Not even Alex's warm hand intertwined with mine could keep my nerves at bay. Why did I agree to this? This is going to end terribly.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked, pulling me out of my panicked thoughts.

I looked at him doubtfully, "Just peachy."

"It'll be okay," He assured me as we stepped out of the vehicle.

"Are you sure we can't just leave now and go spend the rest of the afternoon in your bed?" I offered as we walked up the driveway. "I'm sure they haven't seen us yet."

"It's now or never," He said firmly as we entered.

I took a shaky breath and prepared myself. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table while dad leaned against the island texting.

"Oh you're ho—what's he doing here?" Mom asked, glaring at Alex over my shoulder.

This is going to go fantastically.

"I thought you two broke up," Dad said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Yeah, about that. I sorta kinda lied."

"Why?"

"Because of you two," I stated. Might as well get it all out while we're here. "You guys won't let me be happy so I had to lie about it."

"What are you talking about?" Mom asked.

"Don't play stupid with me mom. You two have such a tight grip on me and everything I do. I needed some way to get away from it and be with Alex."

"This is your fault," Mom said, turning her glare to Alex who met it unwaveringly.

"The only Alex has done is helped me stay sane through all the fuckery I've had to put up with in the last month," I snapped at her. "You have no one to blame but yourself for the way I've been acting."

"You're in a lot of trouble," Mom warned. "Back down now, and just listen to us."

"I don't give a flying fuck how much trouble I'm in. Have I actually taken your punishments seriously lately? If you ground me I'll just leave again."

"Why are you so out of control?"

"I'm not out of control; I'm just not in your control. And I refuse to stop being so resistant and out of control until you get over whatever you have against Alex."

"I refuse to accept this relationship." She stated.

"Is it because I'm actually happy?" I asked. "Why are you so set on taking the only thing in my life that I care about?"

I was getting so frustrated with her, I swear steam was about to start coming out of my ears.

"I don't want you to get hurt," She tried.

"Bullshit! The only person hurting me is you mom. Stop trying to make Alex look like the bad guy when it's you."

"I've had quite enough of this conversation," She said abruptly as I struck a nerve with my comment. "Alex needs to leave and he won't ever be coming back and you will never be seeing him again."

Alex squeezed my hand. This probably wasn't the he expected things to go. He looked at me like it was the last time he was going to. That wasn't going to happen.

"No."

"Charlotte—"

"I love him mom, why don't you understand that?" I stopped yelling.

"You don't love him and he doesn't love you. I'm done with this. Alex is leaving now."

"Fine, I'm going with him."

"No you're not."

"Yes. I. Am." I said definitely.

"If you leave with him, you're not allowed back." She said in a cold voice, causing both Alex and dad's jaw to drop.

"Isn't that just a bit harsh?" Dad asked her.

"No." She snapped at him. "So does that sway your decision?"

I shrugged, "Not really."

"And where are you going to stay?" She asked, sounding almost amused.

I opened my mouth to answer and say Sydney's but Alex cut me off and spoke for the first time, "With me of course."

Mom rolled her eyes and gave a harsh laugh, "Do you actually think that you can run off and live with him and everything will be fine?"

"It's better than here," I shrugged again. I could see my causality making her even more frustrated with me.

"Fine, go, but don't come running back to mommy and daddy when you don't get your fairy-tale ending," She scoffed and left the kitchen.

I stalked out of the kitchen and upstairs to my room with Alex trailing behind me. I didn't feel a single shred of remorse or regret for my decision and I doubted I would.

I turned abruptly to Alex, "Are you sure it'd be okay with your mom?"

That was honestly the biggest of my worries.

"I'm sure if we sit her down and explain to her what happened, she'd understand. If not, I have enough money saved up from working we could get our own place." He said.

I hoped it didn't come down to that but I nodded and grabbed some extra clothes and threw it into a bag. I'd come back for the rest when details were sorted out.

"You're making a huge mistake," Mom taunted me as we came down stairs and headed towards the door. I rolled my eyes.

"Give it up mom. I'll come back for my stuff tomorrow or something." And with that, I slammed the front door in her face.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked once we were driving back to his house.

"Surprisingly yes," I nodded, "I think could turn out to be a really good thing y'know?"

I tried not to think of all the things that could go wrong and focus on the things that could go right. It had occurred to me that Alex and I had barely known each other for a month so this was a huge step for us, but I was determined to make it work.

My nerves shot up again once we got back to his house and sat his parents down to tell them what happened. Isobel was on board almost right away; telling me that my mother had no right to treat me like that and she would never turn me away if I needed anything. Peter was a little bit harder to convince but after long consideration, he agreed to it too.

Alex and I lay in his bed that night, giddy and happy that things were working in our favour so far.

"Mom will probably make you take the guest room down the hall, but you can always sneak in here late at night," He grinned.

"There are still so many details to sort out," I mumbled, my mood dropping slightly.

"I know," He nodded, kissing my forehead, "but we'll sort them out as we go. We're in this together."

I felt better, pulling his head down in a long, passionate kiss. He pulled me down and rolled over so our bodies were tangled together. He grabbed the blanket and covered us both with it. I was so comfortable and warm and safe with him. A fuzzy feeling spread throughout my body as he planted a kiss on my cheek.

Yes, the next while might be a little rough and will take some getting used to, but I knew that as long as Alex was with me, we'd make it work.

"I love you," I whispered to him.

"I love you, too."

-x-

The end.


End file.
